Life post-Brexit

I remember Great Britain prior to entry into the EEC and the hoops we were forced to jumped through to get in.

In 1957 the Treaty of Rome created the EEC for Belgium, France, Italy,

Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.

GB did not, at first, subscribe but in the ’60s we applied for membership, but our ‘great friends’ the French, via De Gaulle, said Non!

This situation prevailed and after another request to join in 1967 De Gaulle once again said Non!

After De Gaulle’s fall from power the UK finally succeeded

In truth, Europe needs our continued trade almost as much as we would like its

COLIN GITTINS

in convincing the EEC member states to admit the UK. We joined in 1973 under PM Heath but because the subsequent PM Wilson was undecided about the EEC terms, he called a referendum in 1975 to ratify our joining. The UK referendum returned a yes vote. These were the good times, an open market without heavy political overtones.

Then we get the Maastricht

Treaty of 1992 which was a profound game changer, paving the way to an eventual United States of Europe,

with a single currency (the Euro).

We were given no referendum opportunity to ratify this decision (Denmark did and said No to

Maastricht. That No vote eventually gained them four opt-outs which allowed them to get a Yes vote in a following referendum).

Across the pond on the Maastricht Treaty, Alistair Cooke (Letter from America presenter) said: 'The citizens of the USA would never have accepted such terms in the creation of their republic.' Perhaps had we been given a referendum voice at that time, a No Vote may have allowed us to negotiate better opt-outs, or failing that, our departure may have been more dignified.

While the old EEC was good for the UK, I did not want to be a European citizen with a European legislature, a European government, a European bill of rights and an eventually forced entry into the Euro, That’s where Maastricht was leading so I voted out!

France has made our departure under Michel Barnier just as difficult as our entry under Charles De Gaulle. Why, you may ask: to discourage other nations, including France, from leaving a failing experiment.

In truth Europe needs our continued trade almost as much as we would like its. So when the hype and political posturing has fallen away we will get better terms in Europe, why not?

So let us all get on, and in unity, working together, for a new, freer and brighter future.