The pro-EU propaganda machine is in overdrive on the eve of David Cameron’s much-vaunted speech on Britain’s relationship with Europe. Much of this centres on the insistence that the Prime Minister will jeopardise the UK economy if he raises the prospect of a British exit. The implication that the European Union is a paragon of fiscal and monetary virtue would certainly dumbfound the average Greek or Spaniard!
Meanwhile the EU heavies are turning the screws. On a visit to London, Gunther Krichbaum, chairman of Germany’s European affairs committee, suggested any efforts by Mr Cameron to renegotiate Britain’s relationship would be blocked to prevent other EU member states making their own demands.
The EU is moving inexorably towards a single banking, fiscal and political union. We can only avoid this by ripping up the 1972 Act that took us into the EU in the first place. But time is short. Article 16 of the Fiscal Union Treaty incorporates fiscal union into EU law by 2017. David Cameron is deluding himself if he believes he can formalise a “rather looser relationship” with Europe. Herman Van Rompuy and his friends in Brussels would not tolerate that. The EU is, and always has been, about forging ever closer fiscal and political ties. They now view this as imperative in order to save their currency. Ultimately, the only options will be IN or OUT. We must be allowed, as soon as possible, to vote accordingly in a referendum.
Another egregious example of EU legislative meddling has emerged recently. From January 1st a new law came into force relating to the testing of ingredients in foods, chemicals, herbal medicines, cosmetics and perfumes. The legislation may represent an improvement for some EU states, but from the UK perspective it dramatically reduces animal welfare standards by broadening the scope for animal testing and introducing more brutal methods of killing them. It even sanctions testing on stray pets. Here we have one-size-fits-all EU logic in all its mind-boggling absurdity.
The prospect of ‘ever closer union’ is a grim one. Not just for us, but for our animals too!
