News and Comment (Earlier than 01/01/1999)

The fall of New Labour's premier 'spin-doctor' is a perfect illustration of the sickness which infects the body politic and which has little to do with his personal financial affairs. Over the last few decades we have seen the rise of those who regard politics as a profession, not a vocation, and for whom self interest is the motivation, not a desire to advance an abstract political cause.

It is no accident that those most dedicated in their opposition to UK membership of the EU are those who truly believe in a political ideal, whether it be that of the socialist left, or the free market right, while those in favour of the project are overwhelmingly of the type to whom a political career is a way to bring personal benefit, regardless of principle. That this is so can be seen by the way in which men and women, whose personal vision of society may differ greatly, can nevertheless share common ground in the defence of the democracy which we have so painfully evolved over so many centuries. Tony Benn, Peter Shore and Denzil Davis of the Labour Party can connect with Bill Cash, Michael Spicer and Michael Portillo of the Conservatives because they are all in politics for more than just the chance of a ministerial car, being genuine believers in the parliamentary system under which we live and anxious to see it preserved.

Peter Mandelson is a leading light of the European Movement and, as such, a prime mover in the attempts to see this country subsumed in a federal European state, where the political class will have escaped from accountability to the electorate and will enjoy all the benefits of office without the fear of ever losing it. When people of this sort describe the opponents of federalism as 'lunatics' and headbangers' it is because they are unable to believe that anyone would put principle before personal advantage and they find incomprehensible the notion of a politician being prepared to sacrifice power in defence of higher ideals.

Mandelson was known for his skill at presenting matters in a way which appeared most favourable to his associates, regardless of the facts involved. That he has now fallen to the weapons he helped to forge should be a warning to all politicians that a truthful and principled stance is also the safest - Churchill needed no 'spin-doctors' when he offered only blood, toil, tears and sweat.

Those such as Mandelson, whose efforts will lead to the establishment of a bureaucratic state, governed by an immovable elite, are either, like the White Queen in Alice, foolish enough to believe six impossible things before breakfast, or they know exactly what they are doing. Either way it is devoutly to be hoped that the revelations concerning Mandelson will awaken the electorate to the truth about our professional politicians and cause them to listen more intently to those who speak from heartfelt belief in principle.

28/12/98

Lords Pearson and Stoddart from CIB were joined by Lord Harris in sending a letter to the Times, the text of which is worth quoting for those who may not have seen it. It concerned an article by the Prime Minister about the European Union

'To judge from his article, the Prime Minister is as confused about the Treaty of Rome as was John Major.

For example, he makes the classic error of failing to distinguish between the Common Market, in which Eurorealists want to stay, and the European Union, which most of us now want to leave. He wrongly uses the word "Europe" to mean them both. This widely practised confusion allows those who want the EU superstate to accuse those of us who don't of being "anti-European", "Europhobic", or "little Englanders".

Only 14 per cent of our domestic production goes to the EU, with which we trade in deficit. Sixteen per cent of it goes in profitable trade with the rest of the world, and 70 percent is consumed right here in the UK. The healthy 86 per cent dog is being wagged by its deficit-ridden, over-regulated 14 per cent tail.

It is therefore the Prime Minister, not us, who must "lose the psychology of failure to start to have confidence that we can succeed" in the big wide world beyond the EU's sinking, corporatist economy.'

It is a great pity that the media, particularly the electronic part, will not give fair coverage to those such as the authors of this letter, and that the Prime Minister lacks the political courage to meet them in a widely publicised open debate. Of course if he, or his fellow Europhiles, did so, they would be so thoroughly routed that their federalist cause would be irreparably damaged, so we can be certain that they will never accept the challenge.

20/12/98

As the Prime Minister sees the prospect of persuading the British people to support entry to EMU receding with every new revelation concerning the aims of the federalists he is resorting to pejorative language directed as those who refuse to accept his dictates concerning the European Union. He must realise that to refer to your opponents as 'lunatics' and 'headbangers' and to echo John Major's insulting remarks about 'men in white coats' only reveals the paucity of arguments available to him and that if he cannot argue from the basis of reason then the validity of his whole case is undermined. He seems incapable of understanding that many honourable men and women oppose UK membership of the European Union, not for reasons of petty prejudice, but because they truly believe it to be the greatest threat to our democracy and freedoms since the defeat of Hitler.

Mr Blair is in danger of believing his own propaganda that to take a contrary line to that laid down by New Labour is the act of a fool or a scoundrel, rather than the reasonable articulation of a different viewpoint. This arrogance has been the consistent hallmark of the Europhiles, of whatever party, whose only answer to the points made by their opponents is to chant the mantra of 'xenophobes, nationalists, little Englanders', rather than to attempt a reasoned rebuttal, the reason being that the Europhiles' case is not solidly based but depends either on unrealistic visions of a non existent promised land or, more ominously, on the ambitions of the political class to further their own interests.

In the next few years the realities of the European Union will continue to expose the optimistic myths propagated by the Europhiles and no doubt Mr Blair will find it harder and harder to discuss the facts. He will find that, like the Hydra, the European Union has many heads, and no matter how many problems he thinks he has cut down, more will spring up to confront him. It is regrettable but inevitable that we shall see an increase in the shrillness of his attacks on the anti-EU movement in a vain attempt to conceal the fact that the Emperor has no clothes!

16/12/98

The chickens are beginning to come home to roost for Tony Blair as his efforts to be all things to all people are being exposed by the realities of EU membership. As eleven members of the EU continue their lemming like rush over the cliff of EMU it is now obvious that the entire budget of the EU cannot continue as it is at present, particularly with the poorer nations of Eastern Europe knocking on the door. The Spanish President of the European Parliament spoke no more than the truth when he said "We cannot have more union on the basis of less budget" for those states which are benefiting from EU handouts will not accept that the gravy train may end and that membership will involve them in paying, rather than receiving. When the Germans, not surprisingly, begin to baulk at continuing to pay the largest share of contributions the writing is on the wall for the whole project. The federalist politicians and their creatures, the bureaucrats of Brussels, will not allow their plans for a corporate European state to be undermined by the realities of the world so we may expect to see Tony Blair confronted with demands to end Britain's rebate which he will only be able to deflect by accepting that what the anti-EU movement has been saying for years is true and begin moves to disengage from what is no more than an incubus, sucking the life out of our nation. Of course he and his other Social Democrat allies will never do this so we will soon see furious spinning by the New Labour propaganda machine as it tries to convince the British people that the new budgetary arrangements will be in the interests of Britain. When Tony Blair declares his negotiations to be a triumph the people would do well to remember the words of Winston Churchill when a previous British Prime Minister returned with a deal from Europe - "We have suffered a total, unmitigated defeat". The only way to prevent even more of our resources being passed to Brussels to spend on French allotment holders and the like is for Britain to leave the whole sorry mess to stew in its own juice and to use our money on the hospitals and schools needed at home.

13/12/98

The Campaign against Euro Federalism, an affiliate of CIB, held its AGM in Birmingham yesterday and inter alia, reaffirmed its opposition to British membership of the EU, rejected all moves to join EMU, deplored the efforts of the Labour government to involve Britain in the creation of armed forces to be at the disposal of the EU and stated its firm wish that when Britain leaves the EU it does not accept membership of the European Economic Area which, for the unfortunate Norwegians, is proving to be a Trojan Horse, allowing the dictators of Brussels to interfere in the affairs of Norway despite the rejection of EU membership by the people.

Those members of CIB who are also members of trade unions might wish to assist CAEF in its efforts by subscribing to The Democrat, the newsletter which makes the anti EU case to the left

13/12/98

The events of the last two weeks are proving that those members of the pro-EU political establishment who are not knaves are unquestionably fools, as the truth about the Franco-German drive for a federal Europe is exposed for all to see. Despite the efforts of spin doctors (surely another word for liars?) to pretend that Oskar LaFontaine was speaking only for himself, it is clear that he is only telling the truth about the plans of the European Union, having been endorsed by Gerhard Schroder, by the French Finance Minister and now by the Finns. Mr Blair and Mr Brown are discovering what preceding Tory ministers found out that the EU is on a one track journey to a federal Europe and there is only one choice to make - stay on and accept the end of the UK as an independent state, or withdraw from the EU altogether. The continual efforts by our stupid politicians to find a 'pragmatic' compromise are doomed to failure and, as we near the end of the line, this truth is entering the public consciousness. Of course it is not merely New Labour which is guilty of this wilful blindness as the previous Conservative administrations are equally culpable, even Margaret Thatcher having shown a complete lack of judgement by accepting the Single European Act, the means by which the veto power has been fatally undermined. Those honourable men and women of all parties who have consistently opposed the whole European project have been vindicated, all the prophecies they gave about the urge to federalism being shown to be true. The statements made, by those such as Tony Benn at the time of the 1975 referendum, concerning the inexorable nature of European desires for the creation of a United States of Europe and the consistent warnings of Lord Stoddart, Sir Richard Body and others as to the future course of events are now seen to be fully justified. Only those in Britain, who seem to be experts at Orwellian doublethink, can continually convince themselves that when the architects of the European federal state say that they seek full political union they do not really mean it. However, when papers such as the Sunday Times state that 'Britain had better face the fact' then this does not imply that we must accept our fate as a European province. The simple and certain method of avoiding this fate is for the UK to leave the Europeans to the hole into which they are choosing to jump and for us to 'isolate' ourselves by joining the other nearly two hundred nation states who have no wish to join with the fourteen of the EU. However it may be that this solution escapes the minds of our sophisticated, and idiotic, politicians.

The number of stories in the media concerning the plans of the EU is rapidly becoming a flood, from occasional muttering in papers which support UK membership, like the Mirror and the Evening Standard, through consistently critical pieces in the Times and the Daily Telegraph to outright opposition from the Mail and The Sun. Indeed today's leader in the latter is worth quoting, not least because it could have been lifted direct from a CIB leaflet - "In inevitable moments of crisis that will blow up once the single currency is launched on January 1, there is no mechanism for Europe's 300 million people to express dissent. They cannot challenge faceless bureaucrats, unelected bankers or the council of ministers who will rule their lives."

The Europhiles are panicking and seeking to counter the revelations by issuing denials, which are no more than the usual lies, while claims that the veto will protect us are laughable, given the pusillanimous behaviour of our politicians in the past.

The German finance minister Oskar Lafontaine is being heavily criticised but in reality we owe him a great debt for ripping aside the veil behind which our own politicians have sought to conceal the truth concerning the European Union. The choice now lies stark before us: either to submerge the UK in a federal European state with one government, one fiscal policy and one set of taxes or to withdraw from the EU and turn back to our historic path as a sovereign, world trading nation.

We are now informed that the bureaucrats of Brussels are considering banning the use of video recorders to tape TV programs unless a special tax is paid, the advent of digital broadcasting making such a thing possible. Without going too far into the details of this matter it illustrates perfectly the totally different paradigm of continental Europe to that of the British.

In the UK the basic presumption is that if a thing is not specifically outlawed then it is permitted while for the less independent peoples of Europe if a thing is not specifically allowed by law then it is banned. This will have the inevitable result that the bureaucrats of Brussels will seek to regulate every aspect of our lives, from the smallest to the largest, and it is the cause of the endless procession of ridiculous regulations, from hairnets for fishermen to the shape of bananas, which, while appearing more amusing than sinister, will gradually erode the freedoms which we have always taken to be our birthright. The withdrawal of identity cards in the early 1950s was the direct result of British revulsion at the demand that they be so regulated by petty bureaucratic dictators and yet we now face a rising tide of impertinent demands from these arrogant functionaries in Brussels. The only way to destroy the red tape which is slowly strangling us is to cut the Gordian knot and withdraw from the EU, leaving its interfering apparatchiks to bother those who are prepared to tolerate their actions.

Today the press reported how proposals for a common judicial area in Europe, based on the Continental inquisitorial model rather than the British trial-by-jury system, are being developed as part of moves towards a single state. This Corpus Juris will be adopted for European Union fraud cases and will form the basis for a unified criminal justice system. Kate Hoey, the Home Office minister, says it would have implications "for our national sovereignty and human rights".

As we in the Eurorealist camp know this proposal will follow the pattern of past EU initiatives: underplayed and derided as an impractical idea in its early stages, only to become irresistible at a later date. The main points highlighted by these reports are:

• The Treaty of Amsterdam enables decisions in the judicial field to be taken by majority decision, removing Britain's veto and preparing the ground for more radical legal changes.

• The prosecutor will have the power to instruct a national judge to issue a "European arrest warrant" valid across the whole EU.

• The Brussels-based EPP will be independent of national authorities and have a delegate in each capital city.

• The Corpus Juris states: "For the purposes of investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of sentences concerning the offences set out above (fraud against the EU) the territory of the Member States of the Union constitutes a single legal area. If an investigation conducted by a national authority reveals that (an offence has been committed) the dossier must be immediately submitted to the EPP."

• At the trial stage, "courts must consist of professional judges, specialising where possible in financial and economic matters, and not simple jurors or lay magistrates".

• A new judicial figure, called "the judge of freedoms", will give authority for suspects to be held for up to nine months under European jurisdiction and to be transferred without extradition proceedings.

• This system will mark an end to historic British rights, including habeas corpus, which protects defendants from being held in jail without trial for long periods, and of trial by jury.

Earlier this year, the European parliament passed a resolution calling for the subject to be pursued, "in particular the principles and provisions of criminal procedure considered in the study, such as the new principle of European territoriality". The parliament's president, Jose-Maria Gil-Robles, called it "an important model for the realisation of a common European juridical and judicial space, based on the protection not just only of the Community taxpayer but of the European citizen against all and any criminal activity". (These Eurofanatics are expert at making their latest ploy to undermine the rights of citizens sound as if it was an improvement, rather than another step on the road to bureaucratic dictatorship)

The most recent Government statement on the subject came earlier this month from Kate Hoey, in a letter to Nicholas Soames, the Tory MP. It said: "The Corpus Juris proposals envisage far-reaching changes to judicial co-operation within the EU. Many of the proposals would not be easy to square with the legal traditions of this country, indeed some would have implications for national sovereignty and human rights."

Once again we can see that the inexorable drive towards European integration is undermining the freedoms of the British people, merely in order that the self interested political class may benefit personally. The loss of our system of jurisprudence, evolved over centuries, will be one of the greatest among the whole sorry litany of betrayal.

01/12/98

The media is continuing to wake up to the reality of the European Union, as evidenced by reports in the press today:

The Daily Mail reported that the Brussels commissioner Mario Monti had raised the matter of Britain being obliged to impose VAT on food, children's clothes, books and newspapers (something we in the anti EU movement have been pointing out for years!) and printed an excellent article by Christopher Booker on why our politicians cynically continue to deceive us all.

The Times quoted a number of the architects of the federal European state, whose statements go to prove that our politicians are either knaves or fools:

Yves-Thibault de Silguy (Commissioner) - "the arrival of the Euro will bring further pressure for tax harmonisation

Joschka Fischer (German Foreign Minister) - "the top priority is to turn the EU into a single political state" and "Just as we worked together on the first real transfer of sovereignty in the field of currencies, we ought to work on a common constitution to turn the European Union into an entity under international law ...that is my goal"

The Evening Standard produced further quotes:

Gerhard Schroeder (German Chancellor) - "the dream of a united Europe was a common vision for all German politicians, irrespective of party" and "a consideration of the continuation of national vetoes should be a matter for debate as part of a continuing reform process"

Yesterday the Evening Standard quoted Michel van den Abeele as saying that "the single currency would be the engine driving taxation issues" and that "London would have to accept a certain discipline in the area of the withholding tax" - this latter would cost the City billions of pounds and thousands of jobs

Several papers also published the warnings from Rolls-Royce that the introduction of EU laws in the UK would see their factories relocate to the USA

At the same time these reports are appearing we also hear that Ireland may apply for membership of the Commonwealth thus highlighting the very real alternative that the UK has to taking part in European integration. We have very little in common with our European neighbours, apart from the accident of geographical proximity, but share a great deal with so many around the world whose culture, language and social systems owe much to our own. Although Brussels may be confident that "Britain has no alternative but to join EMU" the reality is that there is a whole world out there which, because of our history and connections, can offer the UK a prosperous future without the need to sacrifice our democratic freedoms to bankers and bureaucrats.

As can be seen from the agitation in the press the British people must soon face the final decision, whether to see the UK submerged into a federal European state or to turn back to our historic path as an independent, world trading nation. The misinformation and lies which so clouded the 1975 referendum meant that its result gave no mandate to our politicians to cede our democratic rights to Brussels. The people have not yet spoken but we are at the eleventh hour and, if the federalists are to be defeated, the people must speak now. As Christopher Booker says "we still have, in the referendum on the Euro, a final chance for the British people to say No. If the politicians are allowed to stitch that one up, it will be their final betrayal"

Advocates of UK membership of the European Union often use the issue of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to state that only by being within the EU do we benefit. A new pamphlet published by Eurofacts ('The June Press Ltd') provides the facts and gives the lie to these specious claims.

This analysis of Government FDI data demonstrates conclusively that:-

• Insignificant proportions of Inward Investment into Britain are attracted by the single market
• Inward Investment into Britain accounts for a small proportion of All Investment in the UK and an even smaller proportion of UK GDP
• Earnings on British FDI overseas are twice as big as those on foreign FDI in Britain
• Inward and Outward British FDI takes place overwhelmingly with other English speaking countries

Two statistics in particular are worth remembering to use against those who make unsubstantiated claims about FDI:

The Author of this paper is Ian Milne, who has been professionally involved in overseas direct investment, for British and foreign companies, for over thirty years

If you wish to purchase this pamphlet it will cost you £4.00 and can be obtained from

The facts in papers such as these enables Eurorealists to defeat their opponents in debate, for the latter rely almost exclusively on repeating myths that have no concrete foundation, outside the wishful thinking of their overheated imaginations

22/11/98

At the eleventh hour, and as the Eurotrain hurtles towards the buffers a great truth is beginning to dawn on the national media. After years of concerning themselves with the trivial and the prurient, they finally beginning to realise that what the anti EU movement has been telling them for years is not the ramblings of deranged minds but a plain statement of the facts. Yesterday the Daily Mail ran a headline 'German threat to our taxes' which, ignoring the tinge of xenophobia, related how the harmonisation of financial matters consequent upon adopting EMU would lead to British tax rates being set by the EU, not the British government. Today the Sun has joined in, warning on the creation of a European superstate. Even the maniacally Europhile Evening Standard was, earlier this week, complaining about the EU regulations which, if implemented, would destroy the British art market. Of course the Standard has a long track record of supporting the idiocies of the establishment and of ignoring reality and common sense. In the years just prior to the Second World War the Standard sacked one of their columnists for writing of his opposition to the appeasement policies of the government. Fortunately he recovered from this great blow to become Prime Minister in 1940 and save Western civilization!

The tabloids, obsessed with sexual scandals, and the plots of TV soaps, ignore issues in favour of personalities although, thanks to their proprietor, The Sun is making some efforts to highlight the dangers of EMU. The others, who seem to think that life revolves around 'mirth and folly' should heed the warning given by Robert Browning in 'A Toccata of Gallupi's' that there would be a reckoning 'when the kissing had to stop'.

The British people have been ill served by those who liked to style themselves ' the watchdogs of liberty' and we can only hope that at last the truth will begin to appear regularly on the front pages - that if the UK remains in the EU it will soon no longer be an independent nation and become merely a province of the United States of Europe - that political control will be transferred from the peoples' elected representatives to bankers and bureaucrats - that the political class will escape from accountability and, as in France, form an immovable elite - that the levers of fiscal control will be operated from Frankfurt, not London - that Britain will cease to be.

Of course, one swallow does not make a summer and whether these stirrings in the press really represent a sea change is still open to question. The next few years will tell.

The next AGM will be held on 10th April 1999 in Central Hall. All CIB members are encouraged to attend as 1999 is an important year for the campaign, the Euro elections being due in June

18/11/98

The Court of Auditors report reveals that fraud and waste continue to be rife in the European Union, over three billion pounds having been thrown away or stolen in the last year alone. The Court says that some countries have been 'over enthusiastic' in their claims - if an employee of a company were found to have a filed a fraudulent claim and excused himself on the grounds that he was being 'over enthusiastic' do you think this would be accepted? If you do you must still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the democratic nature of the European Union!

One hopeful comment made was that if this goes on it could destroy the European Union, so perhaps the price might be worth paying if it achieved that. However the most likely result is that the EU will stagger on for some time yet and the taxpayer's money will continue to subsidise incompetence and theft on a lavish scale.

17/11/98

It is becoming obvious that the Europhiles are attempting to use the concept of inevitability as a means of convincing the electorate that opposition to joining EMU is futile. From doubtful polls, given great prominence in the pro EU media, to newly published tomes by known Europhiles, the patronising message is given that the European Union and all its works are an irresistible force of history which cannot be resisted. Of course this type of nonsense is what we heard from the fascists in the 1930s, from the Marxists since the days of The Communist Manifesto and recently from some who thought that the triumph of global capitalism was absolutely assured. The truth is that, despite the best efforts of historians to perceive and project trends, we are constantly surprised by historical events, whether it is the fall of Communism or the Falklands War.

The self interested political elite, assisted by some in the business community, are trying to present the single currency as a fait accompli, intending that by the time the referendum is held the voters will have been led to believe that they have no choice but to vote 'Yes'. No-one should be taken in by this, for the EU itself is merely the creature of the political establishment, possessing no valid mandate from the populations of the countries involved, and EMU is set fair to be a disaster, once reality makes clear the extent to which the Maastricht criteria has been fudged.

The electorate should vote according to their beliefs and desires, not in response to ridiculous claims of historical inevitability

13/11/98

In an address to the Association of British Travel Agents in Marbella, Lord Healey warned that the single currency could collapse within three years.

He said "I think the environment in which EMU is starting makes it more likely than not that it will break down before abolition of national currencies. The risk of the economy getting worse rather than better creates a very worrying environment in which to manage this kind of system".

The majority of the agents at the conference stated their opposition to the single currency, giving the lie to the claims by the CBI that British businesses are desperate to join.

31/10/98

Despite the fact that the UK has not decided to join the single currency on 1 January 1999 British companies already face massive costs due to the determination of the political class here, and in Europe, to gamble that EMU will not be a disastrous failure. The IT magazines are full of articles detailing how many resources must be committed to making systems Euro compatible, much of which will be essential only because of the arrogance of the multi national companies who intend to insist, contrary to legal requirements, on their suppliers working in a Euro environment, providing invoices in the new currency. If, contrary to all sense, the UK should eventually join EMU these costs will rise astronomically thanks to the need to convert slot machines, cash registers etc.

It is a disgrace that these financial burdens should be placed upon British industry, merely so that the politicians can pursue their dream, and our nightmare, of a federal European superstate where they will have escaped from accountability to the electorate. When EMU collapses, as it inevitably will, give the fudging of criteria which preceded it, and the obvious inability of nations such as Italy to sustain the economic disciplines which would be necessary for its preservation, then all this expenditure will have been totally wasted. In addition the resurrection of the franc, mark and pound will cost another fortune.

The thought of how many hospitals could have been built, how many schools regenerated or how many homes constructed by the money thrown away on EMU should ensure that the reckless gamblers responsible will never be forgiven for their stupidity and self serving action.

30/10/98

British visible exports to countries outside the EU grew by £3.7 billion (5.1%) between 1996 and 1997, in sharp contrast to those going to the EU, the proportion of which dropped by over 1%. To the Europhiles this somehow proves the benefits of a single market but then, they have lived in Wonderland for decades so we should not be surprised by their failure to grasp basic economic reality

29/10/98

In a speech given in Blackpool on 16th September 1998 Bill Morris, head of the Transport and General Worker's Union, referred to the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee in the following terms:

"If you're worried about the Bank of England, you ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until you see the European Central Bank in action"

Statements of this sort, made by significant figures within the Labour movement, give the lie to the assertions by Europhiles that to be opposed to the workings of the European Union is a mark of the right wing. It shows that those who believe in principle, rather than Blairite expediency, are present in far greater numbers on the left than supporters of a federal Europe would wish us to believe.

28/10/98

Once again the MEPs have proved that they totally lack shame in pursuing their own interests and ensure that European taxpayers are forced to fund their lavish lifestyle. Despite being given the opportunity to change their travel expenses system to one in which they would only receive the amounts they had expended, the party leaders chose, in secret talks, to add yet more to the sums they pay themselves and the European Parliament today endorsed that decision.

Those who believe that the European Parliament is a genuine democratic body are being taken for fools by these parasites whose main concern is to continue to ride the gravy train until it finally hits the buffers

22/10/98

The results of the Conservative party poll on the leadership's policy towards EMU represent a resounding success for William Hague. Of those eligible to vote 58.9% did so with 170,558 positive responses out of 202,674 votes cast, representing 84.4% of the total. As expected the Europhiles have done their best to belittle this exercise but the bleating of a small collection of yesterday's men, whose ambitions for the creation of a federal European state have finally been recognized for what they are, cannot detract from a what constitutes a sea change in Conservative thinking. As Dr Alan Sked, founder and former leader of the UKIP, pointed out at a conference fringe meeting, organised by the Conservatives against Government from Europe, the logic of the leadership's position must inevitably generate policies increasingly incompatible with EU membership, given that the federalist aims of France and Germany will not allow a member nation to remain outside EMU for all time.

Much of the media have shown their customary lack of understanding of the realities of the situation with the increasingly discredited Europhiles being described as 'the big beasts of the Tory jungle' rather than as the irrelevancies they have become, representing only the political elite who, after all, would be the sole beneficiaries of a federal Europe. Some commentators persist in describing the move to Euroscepticism as a move to the right, ignoring the fact that many within the Labour movement from MPs like Tony Benn and Denzil Davies to organisations like Labour Euro Safeguards Campaign are resolutely opposed to the federalist project, while trade union opposition is represented by the Campaign against Euro federalism and the views of members of unions such as Unison. The media's continual parroting of the cry that 'Tory Disunity Continues' is especially ludicrous, as no party could achieve unity between those who see the future of the UK as an independent nation state and those who see it as a number of provinces of a federal European state. One might as well have expected Charles I and Oliver Cromwell to have been members of the same party when one supported royal and the other parliamentary sovereignty.

It is gratifying to all supporters of the anti-EU movement that, after so many years of being a voice crying in the wilderness, the truth of what we have been saying is beginning to be recognized. Rather as Churchill said in the 1940s; in the past we had a candle which flickered, in the present we have a lamp which flames and in the future we shall have a light which shines over all the land and sea. The Conservative party, which under Heath was happy to call itself 'The Party of Europe' and whose conference at that time voted almost unanimously for entry to the EEC, now seems set on a course back to sanity, and, when the demands from Brussels for harmonised tax levels and the central control of financial affairs begin to become irresistible, the Labour party will also be forced to face reality. The fight is far from over but, compared to where we stood even three years ago, the tide is flowing ever more strongly in our direction.

07/10/98

Labour Euro-Safguards Campaign held a fringe meeting at the TUC conference on 15th September 1998 addressed by Joe Marino (General Secretary BFAWU), Austin Mitchell MP, Kelvin Hopkins MP and Michael Hindley MEP.

The speakers made clear the depth of opposition existing within the Labour movement to the European project, in particular the very great reservations felt by many trade unionists to EMU. The policies being pursued by the Government were dictated by their desire to join a common currency but were in fact damaging to the British economy.

Trade unionists wanted a productive economy, trading on the world markets, enjoying full employment and governed by a nation state. The results of EMU would be the replacement of countries by zones, low public spending, high unemployment, restricted trade and low wages.

The speakers emphasised that those on the left should not conclude that to be anti EU was a mark and measure of the right as the interests of the working people demanded that the federalist policy be opposed and that co-operation by all democrats was necessary to defeat the political elite.

26/09/98

The breathtaking arrogance of the aged grandees of the party in dismissing the exercise as irrelevant illustrates their contempt for the views of the people and their lack of faith in democracy.

It is obvious that the Europhiles will never accept anything less than a continuation of the disastrous policies the political elite has been following for the last three decades but perhaps, for the rest of the nation, the Hague initiative will be one step on the long road back to sanity.

The CBI have decided to postpone a planned survey of opinion within the ranks of the organisation concerning EMU because 'complications might arise in reconciling the survey results with the existing CBI position if the outcome turned out to be less pro-EMU'. In taking this step the CBI leadership are conceding that their oft proclaimed support for the EU and all its works does not represent the real views of their members, who are in fact much nearer the Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses in regarding the whole project as deeply suspect, the latter even voting twice at their AGM for UK withdrawal. These arrogant Europhiles have been caught red handed doing what those who favour the EU do best, ignoring democratic opinion and acting as petty dictators.

The TUC leadership is reported as lobbying the Government about, among other things, the continued high interest rates put in place by the Bank of England. They are wilfully ignoring the fact that this transfer of democratic control by the Government is a necessary pre-requisite to the even greater transfer which will take place if the UK join EMU when the Central Bank in Frankfurt will be placed in charge of interest rates. The TUC leaders seem unable to recognize the EU membership they support will make eventually make it impossible for any British government to take decisions in the interests of those the TUC purports to represent.

Another matter which ought to concern the TUC is the decision of a major shipping company to replace all their British seamen with cheaper foreign labour, which is an inevitable consequence of the downgrading of the interests of the nation state due to the growth of supranational organisations such as the EU. In the past a British government would recognize the strategic need for a trained merchant marine but now only the profit motive is considered, the politicians showing that they have no concern for the future of the UK as an individual nation. It is in the interests of the British workers for whom the TUC is supposed to speak that the UK remains an independent country, the government acting in support of the legitimate concerns of its own citizens.

Unless those who make up the membership of the TUC and the CBI take back control of their policies from their organisations' officials they may expect to see these petty bureaucrats continue to act in the interests of their bigger brothers in Brussels to the detriment of all UK citizens.

07/09/98

A group of businessmen have formed the Council of Business for Sterling dedicated to setting out the business arguments against British participation in the European single currency.

They urge the British public to discount the myth that the great majority of the business community favours early UK membership as they believe that EMU carries particular problems for Britain that are not shared by other European Union countries.

They point out that the European Central Bank would decide rates for the whole of the EMU area, of which the UK would merely be a region, while the Treasury's freedom to manage revenue and spending would be constrained within EMU by the "stability pact" and the growing momentum of European tax harmonisation.

They are also concerned that not only is there little prospect for labour mobility between the UK and the rest of the EU but the widespread use of variable rate mortgages makes Britons uniquely sensitive to interest rate policy and the British and continental business cycles are out of step, any convergence probably being unsustainable, because of well documented structural differences.

They recognize that, as we in the anti EU movement have been stating for a long time, EMU is essentially a project of political integration, and that the EU's political institutions are not mature or accountable enough to act as a safety valve if, as many continental economists predict, EMU results in regions of persistent unemployment.

Finally they warn that even within the core of the EMU area, it will take at least one full economic cycle before the outcome of EMU is clear, and state their belief that, for Britain, with its special trading, investment and financial patterns, the risk of jeopardising her competitive edge through excessive integration remains too high to be acceptable.

The list of businessmen involved is impressive including Lord Marsh, John Craven (Chairman, Lonrho plc), Sir Michael Edwardes (Hanson), Sir Stanley Kalms (Chairman, Dixons Group plc), Rodney Leach (Director, Jardine Matheson), Lord Wolfson of Sunningdale (Chairman, Great Universal Stores), Lord Young of Graffham (Chairman, Young Associates Ltd), Tim Melville-Ross (Director-General, Institute of Directors), Brian Prime (Executive Director, Federation of Small Businesses)

11/06/98

On Tuesday 19th May 1998 William Hague delivered a speech to the Instead Business School, Fontainbleau. He stopped short of advocating UK withdrawal but made a number of points which are worth reporting, although they are no more than a repeat of the warnings we in the anti EU movement have been giving for years. Listed below are a number of quotes taken from the text released to the press:

Mr Hague has not yet grasped the nettle of UK membership of the EU and does not yet seem willing to confront the federalists in his own party. Those such as Kenneth Clarke who cry that the unity of the Conservative party is at stake are deliberately ignoring the fact that two absolutely opposite views cannot be reconciled. Either one is in favour of the UK as a sovereign nation or one sees our future as a province of a federal European state and no unity can encompass both visions. Nevertheless we have come a long way since the time the Conservative party was happy to accept Heath's claim we are the party of Europe!

20/05/98

The extent to which the British people have lost control of their own affairs is vividly illustrated by the way the wishes of a majority of the population concerning the treatment of animals are ignored by Brussels, without our own elected politicians being able to do anything about it.

Late last year the Daily Telegraph reported how Brussels overruled any attempts to outlaw the use of battery cages and to end the live transportation of animals. When Sweden attempted to ban battery cages they were prevented from doing so by the Commissars of Brussels.

The Financial Times recently reported that the European Court has ruled that Britain may not ban the export of veal calves, regardless of British public opinion, as to do so would strike at harmonisation already achieved.

Those idealistic people who prefer to fight specific issues, rather than partake in the political process as a whole, should take warning that to do so will be futile if any success they gain in domestic terms can be overruled by the unelected dictators of the EU, acting in their pursuit of ever closer union! To the Europhiles animal welfare is of no concern if it interferes in anyway with the building of their federal superstate.

14/05/98

A number of prominent historians and economists have issued warnings about the effects of the implementation of EMU

Martin Feldstein, a Harvard economist, believes that it will lead to conflict among European nations and with the USA and possibly even result in a new European war

Emannuel Todd, a French sociologist and demographer, who accurately predicted the downfall of the USSR, says that it is 'the biggest strategic blunder in Europe since 1914 and the Treaty of Versailles' and that 'the euro is based on the false premise that European societies are similar, and that their various components are prone to convergence and harmonisation'. He believes that the euro will have ceased to exist by 2005.

When Europhiles speak of the EU as a source of peace then quote the above to them

12/05/98

The President-elect of the European Central bank, Wim Duisenberg, and its five other directors, have set out their proposed methods for the conduct of European monetary policy. These reveal the extent to which the ECB will be a totally undemocratic institution, eschewing accountability and transparency in favour of concealment and an arrogant disregard for democratic principles. The main proposals include:

• The ECB will chose its own targets and may not even disclose what they are

• No minutes of the discussions will be published

• It will not disclose how the directors voted

• It may disclose details of votes, but only after 16 years!

The ECB excuses this refusal to explain any of their actions on the grounds that the individual directors might be forced to justify their votes to their own national parliaments. Of course, under the Maastricht Treaty, the peoples of Europe are already barred from "seeking to influence" the ECB in anyway, even through their democratically elected assemblies.

This degree of arrogance would be enough to make Stalin blush and it is only the beginning of the establishment of a corporate federal state which will ensure that the ruling elite govern without any need to consult the peoples of Europe. If the UK were to join the single currency it would be taking another step away from democratic accountability and towards dictatorship by an oligarchy.

11/05/98

Even those members of CIB who are not supporters of the UK Independence party will feel disquiet at the manner in which the majority of the media have ignored the recent result of the Yorkshire by-election for a seat in the European Parliament. The result was as follows:

It is not unreasonable to suppose that had the Green party gained the level of support achieved by UKIP the mainstream media would have at least have mentioned the fact. Although the majority of the public regard the European Parliament as an insignificant irrelevancy, that does not excuse the existing virtual conspiracy of silence within the media as far as the activities of the anti EU movement is concerned.

09/05/98

It is gratifying that the quality press is beginning to publish articles and comment which are revealing at least some of the truths about the Europen Union project. In the space of two days the Daily Telegraph reported on the adverse comments made by the Treasury Select Committee and printed a leading article which warned of the loss of sovereignty consequent upon the implementation of the single currency. At the same time The Times printed an excellent article by William Rees-Mogg, which pointed out the implications of the recent election in Saxony for the future of democracy in the European Union. At last the Euro realist movement is seeing the mainstream media waking up to the realities of which we have been warning for many years.

This result illustrates yet again that the political elite has not succeeded in persuading the British public that their interests would be served by handing control of their economy to Brussels and Frankfurt.

06/04/98

As part of their relentless campaign to force the UK into economic and monetary union the Europhiles have consistently advocated handing control of interest rates to the Bank of England as this type of powerful, and unaccountable, central bank is a major feature of EMU. We can now see the effects of this insane policy for, at a time when British manufacturing industry is being crippled by the strength of the pound, the elected Government is powerless to prevent the Bank continuing to force rates up. Many of those now complaining loudly are the very business leaders who have vociferously supported the whole concept of EMU which, if we joined, would mean that the Bank in Frankfurt, instead of Threadneedle Street would control those financial levers which have always previously been under the control of the people's elected representatives. However, such is the fanaticism of the Europhiles they will never admit to such a fundamental error so, once again, as during the period of UK membership of the ERM, British jobs and prosperity will be sacrificed on the altar of the European project.

31/03/98