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Although there may be one or two people who are, there is no xenophobic core of British citizens who “hate” our European neighbours, the majority of us are fond of the variety of customs that we meet there when we travel. Unlike our Fathers and Grandfathers, we come from a generation where “battle” is carried out on Soccer and Rugby pitches and not in mud and blood filled trenches, in this respect we Europeans are inheritors of the peace won then by our forefathers.

However, I would take exception to the idea that this peace is attributable to the EU and the Treaty of Rome because it is not and despite the intentions of the original signatories which was that it should be so, in terms of delivering peace to Europe, was about as relevant to military success in WWII as the Maginot and Siegfried Lines were then, events overtook them, peace came by other means. What delivered and maintained peace in Europe was the Cold War and everybody sheltering under the American Nuclear Umbrella because that is what bought common focus and unity of purpose something strangely, which has seemed to desert the Europe since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

There are totally visceral Britons that oppose the EU and describe it in terms of being a “Nazi Super State” – “…exactly what our fathers fought against !” and so on but, I think them totally wrong. In this respect, I consider the EU less “Fourth Reich” than “Hapsburg Empire Mk2” which strangely, makes it all far worse, better the former because that would be obvious and easily dealt with, the latter is far more corrosive and pregnant with potential doom for all and as always, totally unintended.

As a Briton, I am always far more persuaded by “cock up theories” than “conspiracy theories” and have no belief in the idea that some “Brussels based Goldfinger” has designs based on destroying “Good Old Blighty” this is just not the case, we have no specific enemy out there to deal with. The problem with the EU is that just like us, they are bumbling consumer driven fools who in the words of a Madonna song “…just want to have fun.” Tough, the fun time just like the bad times, doesn’t last forever but change it will, it has already started.

The EU is a strange creature and a few years ago over a very decent lunch, an Italian acquaintance described it from his own perspective in an amusing manner along the following lines:

“Sure, the EU is totally corrupt and of that there is no doubt however, consider my native Italy: Family is very important even if you are not in the Mafia and, most people aren’t so, if you can get your brother, sister, son etc. a decent opportunity or a job, you do, it is expected. Unfortunately this means that both in public service and commerce, we are the most corrupt country in the world but then again, who is going to argue with the concept of family ? There are many Italians who when they compare the cost of what we pay the EU with our Government plus, side stepping the “family thing”, think that “Outsourcing” everything to Brussels, might well be a lot cheaper and better for all.”

It is an amusing view but also contained within it lies the reason why the UK will, sooner rather than later, leave the EU because we are a square peg in a round hole and as General De Gaulle predicted, we just don’t belong there inside any “union”. In terms of Law, legal history and what makes Great Britain be Great Britain, there is a major schism between the whole structure of European Law and British Common Law, and beyond that our views and history. We can never understand the social impact during WWII on the countries that fell under Nazi occupation and the consequences some of which, may not have been faced up to even until this day.

Equally one supposes, just as we in Britain during the WWII may have thought that Americans were “Over paid, over sexed and over here” plus came from a land of plenty with an easy life and as a consequence, although we were grateful to them standing besides us, we were also somewhat resentful because they “didn’t know what it was like”. Perhaps for some, even many people from mainland Europe, that is how they see us in Britain, who knows ? Whatever the case, the reality is that for Britain to value its European friends better and for us to be valued better in Europe, we should leave the EU very soon. We can enjoy our respective differences just so long as we don’t try and unify them because there is a truly major “disconnect” between them both, different materials, different melting points and, a wholly different context and substance.