Kent Conservatives are holding rallies in
various towns across the county on September 22nd, asking Gordon Brown for the promised referendum. Former regional press officer Janice Small and South East MEP Dan
Hannan have organised the events. Janice explains here why she thinks all
candidates, MPs, MEPs and activists around the UK should do the same.
At last we have returned to the nasty EU question that we haven’t been able to discuss for two years but now David Cameron is taking the lead on Europe, in common with public opinion and as our most Eurosceptic leader. Let’s keep up the pressure on Labour and the issue alive in the media by running a nationwide campaign to keep Gordon Brown’s promise for a referendum on the Treaty and to kick UKIP into the long grass.
We have organised street stalls and rallies where we will give speeches and ask people to sign a petition and direct them to the Daily Telegraph’s online petition.
People are interested in this issue but it needs to be made easy for them to get involved. On his blog, Dan Hannan recently complained that people are not signing the Telegraph’s EU Treaty referendum petition. But why is he surprised?
Last month, whilst on holiday in Europe, my 15 year-old son on examining the Euros in his hand, who, admittedly lives in a political family, but is mostly tuned out to his mother’s views, said: “If the EU tried to impose the Euro on us I would march in the street against it”.
What he is saying is that he can see something tangible in the Euro vs the pound but the real cost in terms of taxpayers’ money, the loss of sovereignty and the strangulation of the red tape and bureaucracy on business from the EU cannot be seen. People understand that it is undemocratic and that it costs this country money but they do not understand how much and more significantly, how much it actually costs their family because the EU accounts have not been signed off in over a decade. They also feel powerless to do something about it so it is up to us take the campaign to them rather than driving more people to vote for UKIP.
The official figures put out by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office pedal pure lies about the cost. The F&C claims that it costs £50 per head per year but brings in benefits of £300 per year.
Even Open Europe, the Eurosceptic think tank, says that it is hard to estimate the true net costs. But they quote:
- EU red tape has cost the UK economy £40 billion since 1998. 72% of UK regulation now comes from the EU.
- Source: British Chambers of Commerce Burdens Barometer 2007
- After our rebate the UK pays £10.2 billion pounds a year to the EU. Source: Commons Written Answer, 9 January 2006
- The EU’s trade and agriculture policies cost every UK family £1,500 in higher food prices every year, on top of our direct contributions.
Civitas say the cost is between £17-40bn pa, and the pro-Europe IoD say the cost is c. £15bn pa.
Given the above, is it no wonder that people are confused, particularly when our own government reneges on a promise of a referendum? Our candidate for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, advisor to the Shadow Treasury Team and tax expert, has estimated that it costs each family £2000 per annum to belong to the EU.
If we cannot explain the cost then we should give simple messages such as:
- The EU landfill directive is responsible for the current debacle over rubbish collection as it imposes huge fines for dumping rubbish in the ground
- We cannot scrap the Human Rights Act to redress the balance between victim and criminal because it is inextricably linked to our membership of the EU. We will establish a Bill of Rights instead
- The EU writes 6 out of 10 of our laws
- The EU costs every family £2000 a year, according to independent calculations
- We cannot control our own immigration policies and deport criminals because of the primacy of EU law
If you would like to hold an EU Referendum day please get in touch and I will co-ordinate the national media. For those of you who are in or near Kent and would like to join us please get in touch, you will receive a very warm welcome.
Charlie, PPC for South Thanet Laura Sandys, and Roger Gale MP have produced this excellent leaflet. If you would like to re-produce this with your branding I can help. We have secured excellent printing rates and for a small fee, your branding can be over-printed.
Venues and timings:
Rochester: 10.30am, St Joseph’s Maths School, Maidstone Rd, ME1 3EL
Maidstone: 1.30pm, Fremlin Walk shopping centre, outside Marks & Spencer
Deal: 4pm main shopping centre
Ramsgate: 5pm corner of Queen, Harbour and King Streets
Related link: South East MEP Nirj Deva is running his own petition for a referendum
