William Hague - going native and following the Party line

William Hague (The Right Honourable Lord Hague of Richmond FRSL) is reported in the press to have said that leaving the European Union could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/lord-hague-says-leaving-eu-7059693. 

This statement is straight out of the 'Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt' (FUD) book.

The European Union, as far as Brussels is concerned, is divided into a Europe of the Regions. Scotland, the North, the East etc. are all regions of the European Union. Therefore it could be argued that part of the reason for a 'regional' base is to undermine that Nation State. The United Kingdom as a Nation is being undermined by this regional development and devolvement. 

The 'Northern Powerhouse' is not some Conservative initiative - it is part of the drive to divide the United Kingdom into the regions that the European Union has created.

The break up of the United Kingdom is already happening and so leaving the European Union will not necessarily lead to the break up of the United Kingdom any faster or at all.

The devolving of decision making to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh assembly assists and may have accelerated the process but it is happening already.

What is so dispiriting about Mr Hague's intervention is how he has decided to tow the Conservative Party line - this was the man who in 2001 was reported to have said "A Labour victory on June 7 could spell the end of parliamentary democracy as Britain knows it." 

Well a vote to remain in the European Union will mean exactly that Mr Hague. The United Kingdom has nothing to fear from leaving the European Union. Under FlexCit, the plan mainly written by Richard North, the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union would essentially be the same on day 1 after we leave the European Union. It would take some time to unpick the existing relationship into something different and what we want the United Kingdom to be.

However, having got the vote to leave and invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty we would then be negotiating as an independent Sovereign state, at the top table, with our own independent vote (not a 28th of a vote) and not ruled by Fax from anywhere.

The world is moving to Global Governance from the UN, Basel and other non European Union bodies. In order to take advantage of the opportunities these offer, we must, once again be an Independent Sovereign State. We have nothing to fear from leaving the European Union Mr Hague.

Vote to Leave the European Union

Other Bloggers and Thanks

When I started this blog I was determined to credit others for their blogs or opinions. One of these is Peter Hitchens of 'The Mail on Sunday'. You may not always agree with what he says but he can certainly make a good argument.

His blog today contains the following article:

"It is now quite plain that David Cameron neither expected nor wanted to win an overall majority at the General Election. He promised the EU referendum in the belief and hope that he would never have to redeem his pledge.

He has no idea what to do. The concessions he claims he will win aren’t available, and he wouldn’t want them if he could get them, as he’s rather keen on having the country run by foreigners.

Remember the wild haste with which he rushed us back into the European Arrest Warrant, a gross interference with our laws and freedom?

I bet he gulped, rather than whooped, when news was brought to him that he was going to have a majority big enough to allow (or rather force) him to do as he had said he would. He’s still hoping nobody has read the wild Election manifesto he issued, when he was sublimely confident that he would be heading another coalition.

His never-ending journey round European capitals, in search of an unattainable deal, is the most desperate quest since The Lord Of The Rings.

And he is not going to be rescued by any wizards, elves, walking forests, giant eagles or ghost armies.

Only one thing will save him, the ghastly flitting grey shapes of the politically undead, John Major, Michael Heseltine and the rest of the Europhile Black Riders, screeching and wailing (quite untruly) that Britain cannot survive outside the EU.

As long as he can persuade the Blair creature to stay silent, such a campaign of fear may just work. Millions of British people have never lived in an independent country and are scared of trying to do so, like infants who have never ridden a bicycle without stabilisers.

And when they are not scared, they are bored by the subject, or put off it by the blazer-and-cravat bangers-on, who can speak of nothing else.

It’s a pity really, that it should come to this, that a country created by repeated episodes of dangerous valour and solitary endeavour should come to an end because its voters are frightened of letting go of Nurse Angela Merkel, or think they can’t manage on their own in the world without Jean-Claude Juncker to wipe their noses for them. But, after the failure of Mr Cameron’s latest scrabble for unavailable concessions, I suspect that’s the way it will go.

Fear conquers all."

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Before taking a break I want to acknowledge that this blog started because of and was inspired by Richard North. His EUReferendum.com blog is simply indispensable to anyone who wants to learn anything about the European Union.

I am also extremely grateful personally to 'A Boiling Frog' who was kind enough to make suggestions to and give critical feedback on my posts. Any errors remain mine and I restate my promise to correct any that are pointed out to me and to acknowledge them.

Lastly, I want to thank those who have read and who read my posts. It is very satisfying that people read my output. I hope that they give pause for thought.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Vote to leave the European Union

A Fundamental law of the European Union

Associate Membership was flagged some time ago by 'A fundamental law of the European Union' published by The Spinelli Group which appeared on the Spinelli Group website on 4th October 2013. 

This is offered as a 'major contribution to the debate on the future of Europe'.

Its 'Headline proposals' (http://www.spinelligroup.eu/article/fundamental-law-european-union) are:

1.   'Ever Closer Union' defined as federal union of states and citizens deriving legitimacy from popular sovereignty. 
2.   Constitutions of EU Staes must respect EU values
3.   Commission becomes the EU Government, appointed by and answerable to the legislature of Council and Parliament 
4.   Limited right of legislative initiative to Council and Parliament
5.   European Council redefined as the lead formation of the Council of Ministers
6.   Rotating Council presidency abolished: Each formation elects its own chair
7.   Commission becomes smaller, nominated by its President
8.   Certain number of MEP's elected in pan-EU constituency on transnational lists
9.   Wide extension of ordinary legislative procedure
10. Widen jurisdiction of Court of Justice
11. Easier access for citizens to Court of Justice
12. Ending rigid unanimity for future treaty change and entry into force
13. Ending opt-outs in Justice and Home Affairs
14. Creation of an Associate Membership
15. EU tax revenue to finance EU spending
16. Additional Budget for the Eurozone
17. Common economic policy focussed on sustainable growth
18. Fiscal solidarity to complement fiscal discipline
19. New powers for European Parliament in economic and employment policy
20. National Parliaments get a say in excessive deficit procedure
21. Wider powers for European Central Bank
22. Permit sharing of Sovereign debt under strict conditionality
23. Lifting prohibition on approximation of national laws
24. Modernisation of common policies
25. Right of assent for Parliament on all international agreements

There are some real issues of concern in the above list. I will return to this in later posts.

In this post however, I will assert that most of the above list is not acceptable. Number 12 for example implies the wider use of Quality Majority Voting (QMV) where the Franco-German axis can force perhaps unwilling states to do what it wants to accelerate ever closer union. 

The United Kingdom must leave the European Union

Vote to Leave the European Union

Overcoming the Settled View

An observation about elections. General Elections in the United Kingdom take place under 'First Past The Post'. In the General Election of 2015, the Conservative Party polled 11,334,576 votes, 36.9% of those who voted but only 24.39% of the Electorate. Labour polled 9,347,304 votes with 20% of the electorate. The Conservative party gained 331 seats (the winning post was 325 seats) against Labour's 232. These voting totals are all seats including those the relevant parties did not win.

In Oldham on Friday, the turnout was 40.26% and Labour's share was 62%. This means that Labour won with 24.9% of the constituency vote. Talk of Jeremy Corbyn being 'toxic' on the doorstep, as I read in some papers in the lead up to the contest was, in my view, done firstly to undermine Mr Corbyn' leadership and secondly to scare the Labour voters of Oldham to turn out to vote.

The point is that overcoming a 'Labour' area or a 'Conservative' area ('Tribal' voting) is incredibly difficult. It is apparent that the immigration issue is not a vote changer and that Mr Farage who, I am told, is a very good public speaker seems not to be persuasive enough.

In the forthcoming European Referendum, the 'Leave' side have to overcome the argument that 'we're in it so we might as well remain it it' view and especially the 'deal' that Mr Cameron will try to sell. Mr Cameron's prestige and salesmanship must be our chief target which we must neuter if the 'Leave' side has any chance at the ballot box at all.

Therefore what is needed is an exit plan which persuades the voter that leaving the European Union is not a risk and that when we leave, the United Kingdom will still have access to the single and world markets. FLEXCIT, written chiefly by Richard North, is the plan. It illustrates how we can leave the European Union (which we must) and take our place again as an Independent Sovereign State taking part in the rapidly evolving Global Governance. Please visit and look at.http://www.eureferendum.com/documents/flexcitlite.pdf

We need to be at the 'top table' in World Governance not have a 28th of a vote. We will find ourselves in a minority in the 28 more and more if we don't leave. An individual elector will have no influence whatever. Technocrats in Brussels will govern and be impervious to all representations. 

The United Kingdom has nothing to fear from leaving the European Union. Quite the contrary. 

Vote to Leave the European Union