On Monday 24th October 2011, the House of Commons voted on whether we should have a referendum on Europe. When I speak to people on the doorstep in Dover and Deal, they say they want to get out of Europe. When I ask does that mean no free trade either, they tell me "No, I want the Common Market we signed up for" rather than the all encompassing monster the whole thing has become.
And I have to say I agree with that. Free trade without the baggage. The baggage being all these laws, meddling, cost, corruption and general interference. Interference, like the social chapter, that is now holding us back from getting our country in shape to grow. It's as clear to me as it is to us all that we need to recast our whole relationship fundamentally.
This is the position I adopted at the election. A fundamental recasting to get free trade and lose the rest of it.
The referendum proposal had three options. One option to stay, two options for less Europe. It was clear to me that the less Europe vote would split. So I wasn't going to vote for a loaded motion like that. It was also clear to me we do not need a referendum to tell the politicians that we want the Common Market rather than the Euro monster. I was also very aware that there is no majority in Parliament for what we all want as Labour and the Lib Dems are pro European.
Like people in Dover and Deal I am clear on where we want to get to but also practical and hard headed. I want to see change, not just bang on about it.
In view of this I joined in tabling an amendment that said the Government should immediately renegotiate to get us less Europe and then put a clear, detailed plan to a referendum. The amendment was not given a chance to be debated. So I voted against the referendum motion as we need a clear choice, not a multi option choice that will basically favour pro Europeans.
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Living so close to other EU states we must not be too insular. In reality our anti-EU stance has done us little good. Of course we must look after our own interests but we have much to learn from other countries. Just compare most town centres abroad with the poverty and desolation in Dover. Our councils regards EU grants as an excuse for a "knees up" - result we have nothing to show for the monies they receive. There is a lot more funding we could obtain to improve our lot but we don't even bother to become involved.
- Geoffrey
with you on that chas, the free movement of people and goods is what we all voted for years ago. most europeans want to make their own laws, much as we do. the eu is already outdated, the rest of the world is down sizing and moving towards local control.
- howard mcsweeney
what are your views on the lisbon treaty chas? the majority of the voters want us out of the european experiment now. this is evidenced by the success of the UKIP that will be opposing you and the other candidates in a few months time. this question will be asked of you many times during the campaign.
- howard mcsweeney
I am not keen about the Lisbon Treaty. Labour said they would give us a referendum and they lied. So we had no say. It's now passed and part of EU law. Yet we still need to strike the right balance on the EU. So David Cameron is right that we need to renegotiate to recast our relationship with the EU. While it would be wrong to bind his hands in the negotiation, I would urge for that renegotiation to be wide ranging and aim to get free trade with far less of the baggage and EU law nonsense than we have today. The electoral maths is pretty clear, vote UKIP and you'll get Labour and even more Europe in this Labour Tory marginal. Vote Tory and you get a patriot locally, with less Europe and a recasting of matters EU nationally.
- Charlie Elphicke
Who the hell are the EU?, we never voted for them. We voted nearly 40 years ago for something called the EEC or (Common market) where wages, prices etc would equalise across member states, and there would be free passage of goods between all. I am still waiting for that to happen. We are now controlled by people that we never voted for or ever wanted.
- Dave Knott
Surely EFTA - the European Free Trade Association - was just what European countres needed? Why did governments suddenly feel the need to submit to the rule of countries that had traditionally been their enemies? I, like Charles de Gaulle in the years before, voted a very strong "Non!" in the referendum for Britain being part of the Common Market and, if it had taken place BEFORE we joined, not after, I think the majority of people would have done the same.
- Bill Beer
Switzerland is not part of the EU but has a specal relationship. Many rules that we suffer from such as Human Rights, Common Agricultural Policy, Fisheries are a nonsense. We need a referendum to allow the public to decide on our future.
- Michael Gosling
The EU has been the biggest burden on the UK since we signed up. It costs around £40,000,000.00 per day just to have membership status and we get nothing back for it. How quickly would the national debt be cleared if we backed out? It does us no favors and is quickly crippling us! The EU will not cease trade with us because we suddenly become financially savvy....... How do you encourage a corrupt government to surrender its EU bonuses and backhanders before the damage is too far irreparable. The commonwealth was a good thing, not many of us remember it, a war crippled Britain ended imperialism, 1973 sealed the UK's fate when we started to sign ourselves over to Europe. Recovering from WW2 had taken longer and a lot more out of us than we had realised. Joining the EU\EC was an important part of preserving our war efforts and out own road to recovery. Now it is having the reverse effect, lets get out while the getting is good?
- Ian Palmer
Just come back from 2 weeks in Germany. Did not notice them bowing under the weight of EU regulation, just lots of movement of goods by river and rail, really pleasant, friendly town centres, lots of local jobs with apprentiships and banks lending to local enterprises on a long term basis. Also lots of infrastructure projects and masses of solar panels!
- Eleanor Inch