BREXIT: LET’S TALK
Club defends right to debate Europe
A classic club has hit back at the FBHVC for criticising it for canvassing members for their views on a potential Brexit.
The Cambridge Oxford Owners Club (COOC) asked its members’ opinions, and will publish the results in the next issue of its magazine, Rosette Recorder, due to be published shortly before the EU referendum on 23 June.
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) spokesman Geoff Lancaster says: ‘It is up to individual clubs but we wouldn’t advise them to do this. We have debated the issue of the EU referendum and decided to take a neutral stance. We don’t know of any other clubs doing anything similar to COOC.’
Rosette Recorder editor Taff Gillingham explains the reason for the decision in an editorial in the current issue. He says: ‘The club rarely gets involved in politics but the forthcoming referendum on Europe is the most significant political event that will happen in the lifetime of many of us.’
He adds that because there had been a great deal of legislation directly affecting classic car owners, the club was proposing to look into the implications for British car owners of staying in Europe or leaving, in the next issue of the Rosette Recorder.
‘We will be asking opinions of the FBVHC, classic car journalists, politicians and of course you the members,’ he says. COOC members in Europe are also invited to join in the debate with information on the legislation affecting them.
Taff emphasises that this will only be a debate about the referendum from a classic car owner’s point of view. He tells CCW: ‘We will not be including comments on economics or immigration. It is absolutely not about politics. Other clubs might like to consider similar debates.’
He also points out that matters such as the EU Roadworthiness Directive have sparked major controversy in recent years.
The Cambridge Oxford Owners Club (COOC) will be canvassing members for their views on a potential Brexit in its June magazine.
Ray Newell, secretary of the Morris Minor Owners Club says: ‘We wouldn’t publish something on the EU referendum like this and feel it is up to our individual members to make a decision.’
Editor of the MG Owners Club Magazine Enjoying MG, Richard Ladds comments: ‘We haven’t had any readers asking for us to publish anything on the EU Referendum and neither had we been intending to.’ Nick Larkin
www.co-oc.org