Those campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU have recently focused attention way beyond the areas in which David Cameron sought to renegotiate the terms of our membership. They are peddling a contentious security narrative based on the assertion that the EU has been responsible for keeping the peace in Europe since the Second World War.
Firstly, it is NATO and the United States, not the EU, that has kept the peace in Europe since World War Two.
Secondly, those who fought and died in the two world wars made the ultimate sacrifice to save us from tyranny and to defend the principles we hold most sacred – our sovereignty, liberty and democracy – all of which are jeopardised by the surrender of powers to Brussels.
Some may argue that with increasing political and economic globalisation, nations are now so interdependent that absolute national sovereignty is no longer possible or desirable. But is that a valid argument? We’re talking about the right of people to decide their own destiny here. Self-determination and territorial integrity are core principles of international law. And this, surely, should be the focus of the debate.
