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I don’t like to be an “EU Bore” constantly banging on about why the UK should leave the EU but that is my view. Regardless of anything else, my main objection lies in the total gulf both culturally and historically between what the majority of EU countries see as “normal” in terms of Law and Governance which was laid down by Napoleon Bonaparte and our Adversarial System, they are just not compatible.

Interestingly today, Adrian Hamilton writing in the Indy about the re-election of Barrosa to the EU Presidency or whatever function the man performs, shines another light on the whole thing.

The Least Offence

The main thrust of Mr Hamilton’s article is that Barrosa was chosen originally as a compromise candidate to prevent France in particular from foisting their national candidate on the EU and in re-electing him for another 5 years, the EU just demonstrates its inability to provide proper leadership, it is an organisation that only functions at the level of the lowest common denominator. His article is worth a read: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-if-it-is-european-leadership-you-want-dont-start-here-1788514.html

For Me…

That we all need to cooperate on crucial issues concerning climate change, fisheries, energy security and trade, is blindingly obvious but frankly, the EU long ago ceased to be very useful in this context and for a very good reason, all the horse trading and deals done behind closed doors which will never change because it is the only way it can work with 27 members. One might argue that it is an improvement on the days when it was a stitch up behind closed doors by the French and the Germans.

Take as a good illustration the EU Fisheries Policy, even they (the EU), admit that it is a total disaster which helps no one and is likely to allow the total extinction of one species of Tuna, quite an achievement ! All this likely came about because of trading support on the fishing issue vital to say Spain and Portugal in return for their support on others, it is all a total nonsense.

In the US and on Capitol Hill there are often cases of this type of behaviour where Federal Projects continue in one State that should really be folded but, they provide local employment. However, in the US there is common allegiance to the US – “One Nation Under God” so that even if citizens in Ohio do lose their jobs because a project is shut down, they can accept it better set against the idea of a greater national “Good”, this does not and never will apply to Europe.

Whatever the minority “Loony Tunes” who believe in a Federal EU may imagine, it will just never happen, a Spanish Fisherman will never accept “his job” being given to someone in Hull or Crete and vice versa. The EU will always work at the lowest common denominator level and that as in both fishing and agriculture will lead to bad ecological outcomes.

British Policy

The objective of British Policy towards the Common Market was to expand it as a trading area which was what it was supposed to be and in the process, reduce the bullying influence of both France and Germany on its running plus, make it far too unwieldy to ever become a Federal Europe. Britain has largely won that one so now, time for us to leave.

We can help our European neighbours best by negotiating terms as an independent sovereign state that stands outside of the EU. Because we are an Island people and because of our geographic location, we can do a lot to help impose sensible fishing policies in the waters around us that may help fish stocks recover for the common European good although there is nothing we can do to help the Tuna, the greedy fools are determined to exterminate them along with their own livelihood.

Time we left both the EU and the European Court of Human Rights, time we got back to having sensible Laws in this Country that reflect the temper of the people and our own economic well-being, let’s have an end of our involvement with this “Bugger Thy Neighbour” Organisation. There is no great value being part of it because it does nothing for the citizens of the UK except spew out endless petty rules and regulations, cost us money and encourage our “Establishment” of Politicians , the Civil Service and the Judiciary to be even more lazy than they naturally inclined to be anyway.

Europe will never cease to be by nature, a collection of nation states because that is both its history and destiny. Germany and the Germanic peoples became united, the Italians too but that is where it stopped, as the Baltic States and those of the former Yugoslavia demonstrate only too well, everyone just wants to be themselves, high time the EU was shaken up.