One final thought on the EU referendum. I haven't heard any political commentator remark on the fact that its the generation who voted to stay in the EEC in 1975, who have turned against it and now lead the vote to leave. These voters are sneeringly portrayed by David Cameron and others as 'little englanders' now, but these were the same people who were the 'brave new Europeans' back in the day.
So why has no one has really questioned why, the generation who led us in to Europe, are so disillusioned by the whole experience and want to leave?
I know one thing that really grates with that generation of voters, and oddly it isn't necessarily mass EU immigration, although that's undoubtedly a big factor for many. No, its the downright lies we were told at the time.
In 1972 Edward Heath told us that the then Economic Union was only a common trade market:
“There are some in this country who fear that going into Europe we shall in some way sacrifice independence and sovereignty. These fears, I need hardly say, are completely unjustified."
However in 1971 his government had seen a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) report entitled “Sovereignty and the European Communities” .... which was 'to examine the implications of entry into the European Communities for British Sovereignty'. It concluded that 'Membership of the Communities will involve us in extensive limitations upon our freedom of action ..... The loss of external sovereignty will .... increase as the Community develops, according to the intention of the preamble to the 'Treaty of Rome' ... “to establish the foundations of an even closer union among the European peoples”..' ... The report was never made public at the time.
What's often forgotten is that Edward Heath had also promised that he was only negotiating terms with the EEC, and that Britain would join only 'with the full-hearted consent of the British parliament and people' ..... in the event he simply pressed on with entry into the EEC (even though the enabling Bill passed its second reading by only eight votes in the Commons).
We the people were never consulted, and no referendum was offered, despite one being implied in his promise that entry would only be with the full-hearted consent of the British parliament and people. Mr Heath didn't even tell his Foreign Secretary, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, that by signing the 'Treaty of Brussels', it had committed us to one day to joining a 'single currency' (we dodged that particular EU bullet in the end). Heath only admitted this afterwards ..... So we entered with lies, and the extent that we would lose sovereignty was also hidden from us.
Just before the 1975 referendum, Mr Wilson negotiated some twiddling reforms (so bad in fact that it took Mrs Thatcher's later hand-bagging of the French, to get us a larger rebate, and better conditions - since given away again by Blair/Brown), and told the whole country he had got us a 'brilliant deal'. The leaflets the government issued before the referendum, also stated that there would be no further sacrifices of UK sovereignty. Of course that was simply a lie as well, as this would have been in direct contravention of the 'Treaty of Rome'.
After that its just been a constant drip, drip ,drip, of our ability to act independently .....
1986: Single European Act (SEA) .... which we signed and which removed our right veto on various important matters, and opened the way for massive regulation from Brussels and greater interference in what had always been domestic matters.
1991: The Maastricht Treaty .... the first EU as sovereign state moment, and where we formally opted-out from the Single Currency and the Social Chapter: We were then badgered from then on to join without a referendum ... we were told signing this treaty gave us more influence inside the EU! Exactly where that has influence was is debatable, as we have never since had any of our interests protected.
1997: Treaty of Amsterdam ... expanded EU powers over more areas of UK life. Totally unopposed by anyone .... even though it confirmed citizenship of the union, and gave the EU the right to intervene in a range of matters concerning the fight against crime, social and employment policy, environmental and public health policies.
2000: Treaty Of Nice .... guess what? Oh yes, more powers to Brussels which reduced from two to one the number of British commissioners, enhanced the powers of the unelected President of the EU and extended Qualified majority voting.
.... and so on up to today. We are being lied to again right now .... and that is why that pioneering generation of the early 1970's, have now turned their backs on the EU project.
The real fact is that the EU will simply roll up the rest of our sovereignty, soon after we vote to stay in (they wont want us to ever have the power to go for another exit referendum again). That's the real fact we all have to accept as the final truth.
So why has no one has really questioned why, the generation who led us in to Europe, are so disillusioned by the whole experience and want to leave?
I know one thing that really grates with that generation of voters, and oddly it isn't necessarily mass EU immigration, although that's undoubtedly a big factor for many. No, its the downright lies we were told at the time.
In 1972 Edward Heath told us that the then Economic Union was only a common trade market:
“There are some in this country who fear that going into Europe we shall in some way sacrifice independence and sovereignty. These fears, I need hardly say, are completely unjustified."
 |
| A Sea Of Federalists To A Man, Signed The Treaty Of Rome |
However in 1971 his government had seen a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) report entitled “Sovereignty and the European Communities” .... which was 'to examine the implications of entry into the European Communities for British Sovereignty'. It concluded that 'Membership of the Communities will involve us in extensive limitations upon our freedom of action ..... The loss of external sovereignty will .... increase as the Community develops, according to the intention of the preamble to the 'Treaty of Rome' ... “to establish the foundations of an even closer union among the European peoples”..' ... The report was never made public at the time.
What's often forgotten is that Edward Heath had also promised that he was only negotiating terms with the EEC, and that Britain would join only 'with the full-hearted consent of the British parliament and people' ..... in the event he simply pressed on with entry into the EEC (even though the enabling Bill passed its second reading by only eight votes in the Commons).
We the people were never consulted, and no referendum was offered, despite one being implied in his promise that entry would only be with the full-hearted consent of the British parliament and people. Mr Heath didn't even tell his Foreign Secretary, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, that by signing the 'Treaty of Brussels', it had committed us to one day to joining a 'single currency' (we dodged that particular EU bullet in the end). Heath only admitted this afterwards ..... So we entered with lies, and the extent that we would lose sovereignty was also hidden from us.
Just before the 1975 referendum, Mr Wilson negotiated some twiddling reforms (so bad in fact that it took Mrs Thatcher's later hand-bagging of the French, to get us a larger rebate, and better conditions - since given away again by Blair/Brown), and told the whole country he had got us a 'brilliant deal'. The leaflets the government issued before the referendum, also stated that there would be no further sacrifices of UK sovereignty. Of course that was simply a lie as well, as this would have been in direct contravention of the 'Treaty of Rome'.
After that its just been a constant drip, drip ,drip, of our ability to act independently .....
1986: Single European Act (SEA) .... which we signed and which removed our right veto on various important matters, and opened the way for massive regulation from Brussels and greater interference in what had always been domestic matters.
 |
| The Maastricht Treaty Was When The EU Started |
| Exercising The Sovereign Power Of A State .... |
1991: The Maastricht Treaty .... the first EU as sovereign state moment, and where we formally opted-out from the Single Currency and the Social Chapter: We were then badgered from then on to join without a referendum ... we were told signing this treaty gave us more influence inside the EU! Exactly where that has influence was is debatable, as we have never since had any of our interests protected.
1997: Treaty of Amsterdam ... expanded EU powers over more areas of UK life. Totally unopposed by anyone .... even though it confirmed citizenship of the union, and gave the EU the right to intervene in a range of matters concerning the fight against crime, social and employment policy, environmental and public health policies.
2000: Treaty Of Nice .... guess what? Oh yes, more powers to Brussels which reduced from two to one the number of British commissioners, enhanced the powers of the unelected President of the EU and extended Qualified majority voting.
.... and so on up to today. We are being lied to again right now .... and that is why that pioneering generation of the early 1970's, have now turned their backs on the EU project.
The real fact is that the EU will simply roll up the rest of our sovereignty, soon after we vote to stay in (they wont want us to ever have the power to go for another exit referendum again). That's the real fact we all have to accept as the final truth.
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