You are right about many things about the EU. AS the media is controlled by the big businesses that own them they would not let too much info out about the corruption levels of MEP expenses as that would stop an EU vote – and as it happened – not many turned out for that in June.
It would be better for the EU to take notice of what we want by threatening to come out of the EU and just have a free trade agreenment like Norway and other countries do. We were doing that for a few hundred years I seem to re call.
They would miss those mispent billions, and we need in this country – which is on its knees thanks to greedy bankers..
It is all very well trying to re structure the EU but it was written to destroy the UK economy, as Germany has always been jealous of us and our pace in the world and the USA as well.Read the History of how it all started in the first place. They lost out in 2 world wars – leopard do not change thier spots they merely hide them.
Our apple industry was the first to go within about 24 hrs of joining the EU, then the fishing .. need I go on.
The politicans have allowed this to happen as it obviuosly lines their political party or pensions plans that have been so such a secret. Joining in the first place was a treasonous act and goes against the Oath they took to serve Queen and country ABOVE ALL ELSE.
The whole EU process was and is SO CORRUPT as EU want absolute power so that they can be as big as the USA and dominate the market with their protectionist agenda.
THe whole EU was written with big business work groups FOR Big Businesses. they will only pay lip service to those that complain and we do not have an endless pocket to do this we need to £’s back to biuld up this country FIRST.
What this needs is for someone who has good scandal info. that will make everyone wake up and take notice of what has really been going on. Good luck.
I totally agree with you jenny people want to wake up to what the European union is about it is just not working maybe for them but not us
graham wood
14. Nov, 2009
Excellent comment and summary by Jeni. Could not agree more.
Am I right in thinking that Lee Rotherham and perhaps Open Europe (Whose posts I regard as invaluable information source) anticipate that it will be at least 10 years before we extricate ourselves from this tangled web we call the EU.?
If so, I shudder to think what will happen to us in that period under Lisbon.
Well, battle will be joined in a decisive way up to and at the coming GE. How can we persuade an incoming Tory party that their existing policy of “repatriation” of powers back from the EU is doomed? Can they be serious?
It saddens me how many British people still think that being in Europe is going to be a “jolly”….. they’ve really got no idea, have they? You read it in blogs all the time, from these folk, things such as “I’m so happy to be European” and “wont it be nice if we have the euro, then we wont have to worry about our holiday money”. It just shows how tiny their personal world is. I sincerely hope it doesnt take as long as ten years to break this super-state stranglehold; we are going to have our lives dominated by EU laws, surveillance, tracking, taxation and God knows what else. The after-effects may well last beyond my lifetime. I was hoping for a reasonably peaceful, if not particularly wealthy, retirement…..but it seems that is now only going to be a dream. With every aspect of my life tracked and logged, I may as well be a goldfish in a tank; on view to everyone with an authority-badge.
I’m afraid to say that I think we no longer seem to have the “up and at ‘em” spirit. Instead, the modern Brit just lies down and lets Brussels tickle his tummy. I only have to look at my neighbours to see how fuzzy-minded they are about these issues. A shrug of the shoulders and “oh well, there’s nothing we can do”. 60 million more of the same attitude will seal our place in Europe for good.
Kris H
I love your comment, my thoughts exactly. We’ll be snooped on and logged like goldfish in a bowl. We must fight tooth and nail to extricate ourselves
alaric
21. Nov, 2009
Whilst I share the sentiments expressed I believe the issue is not about coming out of the EU but about the swing of the pendulum of power away from the individual in favour of the State. Having been born before 1973 and lived then in Scotland, I can recall the same hatred for Westminster as exisits for Brussels today and not just in the UK. When the UK was independent all was not a bed of roses and I believe that what we need now is a mechanism that allows all of us individuals, whether in the UK,Finland, Germany, Spain etc. just to say NO and be able to change the whole corrupt mess from outside. NO MP, MEP or Eurocrat,is going to vote for Christmas so we need to invoke a law by popular vote that gives us the right not to elect any representatives and to take more direct control of our lives.
I suggest that a computerised lottery system be introduced that selects MPs and MEP from the voting public at random and those selected must then serve for a term of 3 to 5 years on a salary related to say a 2 times multipul of the average salary and with a fixed level of expenses, all to be agreed by the voting electorate on a minimum majority. Service would be similar to that under the old conscription rules and this would give many more people the chance to get a hands on insight into how things work and less risk of corruption etc. No one would be able to serve more than one termand the electorate would vote in advance on the legislative programme.
Graham Wood asks how we can persuade the Tory party that their policy of claiming back powers is doomed. I agree that it is, but they will have to find that out for themselves. Once they have spent 2-3 years trying to negotiate with the EU, they will find that EU leaders will not make the slightest concession. To do so would imperil the whole basis of the EU, which is that powers surrendered can never be given back to the nation states.
Cameron then has the option of meekly accepting that he can do nothing, or taking it further. Our task is to keep up the pressure on him, so that he doesn’t back down. He has weapons at his disposal. A referendum on repatriating powers would get a massive majority. He can then refuse to approve the EU budget till he gets what he wants, because he cannot ignore the will of the British people. It will take great political will to take on the EU. We need to make him think that he will be voted out of office if he doesn’t do it.
Jeni
12. Nov, 2009
Hi Lorraine
You are right about many things about the EU. AS the media is controlled by the big businesses that own them they would not let too much info out about the corruption levels of MEP expenses as that would stop an EU vote – and as it happened – not many turned out for that in June.
It would be better for the EU to take notice of what we want by threatening to come out of the EU and just have a free trade agreenment like Norway and other countries do. We were doing that for a few hundred years I seem to re call.
They would miss those mispent billions, and we need in this country – which is on its knees thanks to greedy bankers..
It is all very well trying to re structure the EU but it was written to destroy the UK economy, as Germany has always been jealous of us and our pace in the world and the USA as well.Read the History of how it all started in the first place. They lost out in 2 world wars – leopard do not change thier spots they merely hide them.
Our apple industry was the first to go within about 24 hrs of joining the EU, then the fishing .. need I go on.
The politicans have allowed this to happen as it obviuosly lines their political party or pensions plans that have been so such a secret. Joining in the first place was a treasonous act and goes against the Oath they took to serve Queen and country ABOVE ALL ELSE.
The whole EU process was and is SO CORRUPT as EU want absolute power so that they can be as big as the USA and dominate the market with their protectionist agenda.
THe whole EU was written with big business work groups FOR Big Businesses. they will only pay lip service to those that complain and we do not have an endless pocket to do this we need to £’s back to biuld up this country FIRST.
What this needs is for someone who has good scandal info. that will make everyone wake up and take notice of what has really been going on. Good luck.
denise
13. Nov, 2009
I totally agree with you jenny people want to wake up to what the European union is about it is just not working maybe for them but not us
graham wood
14. Nov, 2009
Excellent comment and summary by Jeni. Could not agree more.
Am I right in thinking that Lee Rotherham and perhaps Open Europe (Whose posts I regard as invaluable information source) anticipate that it will be at least 10 years before we extricate ourselves from this tangled web we call the EU.?
If so, I shudder to think what will happen to us in that period under Lisbon.
Well, battle will be joined in a decisive way up to and at the coming GE. How can we persuade an incoming Tory party that their existing policy of “repatriation” of powers back from the EU is doomed? Can they be serious?
Chris
16. Nov, 2009
Hi Jenni have you read the book “Brussels Laid Bare” ? It’s been written by Marta Andreasen who was the Brussels chief accountant.
In this role she pointed out:
1. That there was massive fraud and corruption going on, leading to billions of pounds/euros going missing.
2. In addition, she told them how to put a stop to a lot of these problems by using normal accountancy practicies.
And for her trouble she was sacked!
KrisH
16. Nov, 2009
It saddens me how many British people still think that being in Europe is going to be a “jolly”….. they’ve really got no idea, have they? You read it in blogs all the time, from these folk, things such as “I’m so happy to be European” and “wont it be nice if we have the euro, then we wont have to worry about our holiday money”. It just shows how tiny their personal world is. I sincerely hope it doesnt take as long as ten years to break this super-state stranglehold; we are going to have our lives dominated by EU laws, surveillance, tracking, taxation and God knows what else. The after-effects may well last beyond my lifetime. I was hoping for a reasonably peaceful, if not particularly wealthy, retirement…..but it seems that is now only going to be a dream. With every aspect of my life tracked and logged, I may as well be a goldfish in a tank; on view to everyone with an authority-badge.
I’m afraid to say that I think we no longer seem to have the “up and at ‘em” spirit. Instead, the modern Brit just lies down and lets Brussels tickle his tummy. I only have to look at my neighbours to see how fuzzy-minded they are about these issues. A shrug of the shoulders and “oh well, there’s nothing we can do”. 60 million more of the same attitude will seal our place in Europe for good.
marycurran
17. Nov, 2009
Kris H
I love your comment, my thoughts exactly. We’ll be snooped on and logged like goldfish in a bowl. We must fight tooth and nail to extricate ourselves
alaric
21. Nov, 2009
Whilst I share the sentiments expressed I believe the issue is not about coming out of the EU but about the swing of the pendulum of power away from the individual in favour of the State. Having been born before 1973 and lived then in Scotland, I can recall the same hatred for Westminster as exisits for Brussels today and not just in the UK. When the UK was independent all was not a bed of roses and I believe that what we need now is a mechanism that allows all of us individuals, whether in the UK,Finland, Germany, Spain etc. just to say NO and be able to change the whole corrupt mess from outside. NO MP, MEP or Eurocrat,is going to vote for Christmas so we need to invoke a law by popular vote that gives us the right not to elect any representatives and to take more direct control of our lives.
I suggest that a computerised lottery system be introduced that selects MPs and MEP from the voting public at random and those selected must then serve for a term of 3 to 5 years on a salary related to say a 2 times multipul of the average salary and with a fixed level of expenses, all to be agreed by the voting electorate on a minimum majority. Service would be similar to that under the old conscription rules and this would give many more people the chance to get a hands on insight into how things work and less risk of corruption etc. No one would be able to serve more than one termand the electorate would vote in advance on the legislative programme.
MARTIN
23. Nov, 2009
OUT NOW…….I AM SICK OF THE EU.
THERE WILL BE A WAR IF WE DO NOT GET OUT!!!!!
SLIMEY RUDDY EU IDIOTS…BUT THE QUESTION IS WHY DO BRITISH GOVERNMENTS GIVE IT AWAY??? WHY WHY WHY….
Ken Worthy
24. Nov, 2009
Graham Wood asks how we can persuade the Tory party that their policy of claiming back powers is doomed. I agree that it is, but they will have to find that out for themselves. Once they have spent 2-3 years trying to negotiate with the EU, they will find that EU leaders will not make the slightest concession. To do so would imperil the whole basis of the EU, which is that powers surrendered can never be given back to the nation states.
Cameron then has the option of meekly accepting that he can do nothing, or taking it further. Our task is to keep up the pressure on him, so that he doesn’t back down. He has weapons at his disposal. A referendum on repatriating powers would get a massive majority. He can then refuse to approve the EU budget till he gets what he wants, because he cannot ignore the will of the British people. It will take great political will to take on the EU. We need to make him think that he will be voted out of office if he doesn’t do it.