Could it be that Brussels wants to inflict mayhem?
IN THEIR long campaign of deceit against the British people, supporters of Brussels have pretended that EU membership involves no real erosion of our national freedom. That dishonesty was captured by Ted Heath, the high priest of British Europhilia, when he dragged the UK into the Common Market in 1973. “There are some in this country who fear that by going into Europe we should in some way sacrifice our independence and sovereignty. These fears are completely unjustified,” he grandly declared.
As he knew only too well, the opposite was true. Our increasing submission to Brussels over the subsequent 45 years has obliterated our democratic rights. Control of our laws, immigration, trade and justice system is now decided not by our elected representatives but by foreign officials.
We are sliding towards the status of a regional province in a federal superstate, ruled by an unaccountable cabal that is obsessed with the ideology of political integration.
WHAT a rich irony that this deepening national debasement is proved by all the Remoaner agitation against Brexit. In their eagerness to undermine the process of withdrawal by wailing about its insurmountable complexities, the pro-EU brigade inadvertently reveals how far Brussels is enmeshed in our national life. Their gleeful moans about all the laws and regulations that have to be negotiated are stark testimony to the scale of EU domination.
The imperious mentality of the Brussels bureaucracy was exposed this week by its latest bullying antics. In another attempt at national humiliation the EU regime has drawn up a proposal to impose draconian penalties on Britain if we fail to abide by all its rules during the planned two-year transition period from March 2019, the official date for our departure.
Using a battery of extra judicial powers the EU aims to indulge in collective punishment if our Government dares to step out of line at any moment up to 2021.
Among the likely measures wielded by this instrument of bureaucratic retribution are the suspension of landing rights to British planes in EU airspace, heavy tariffs on British exports to Europe and restrictions on access to the single market for British firms.
The reality of subjugation was further illustrated in the revelation that during the transition period Britain could be forced to implement 37 controversial EU directives, including new corporation and financial taxes, quotas on gender equality in boardrooms and more expansive rules on the acceptance of asylum seekers.
Particularly damaging to our economy would be a requirement that all financial “clearing houses” for euros should be relocated to the continent. At present three-quarters of euroled business is cleared by houses in London, providing the City with £80billion a year.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the crusading Brexiteer and Conservative MP, says that there is now a real danger Britain could become nothing more than a “vassal state” during the transition. As he points out with his usual forensic eloquence, the EU’s bureaucrats are potentially breaking their own rules by their determination to bypass the European Court of Justice, which is meant to be the body that adjudicates on infringements.
Rees-Mogg also justifiably
THE EU should be inspired by the lesson of the British attitude after the American War of Independence in the 18th century. Instead of punishing the former colonies, Britain sought to build a mutually fruitful relationship with the USA. The result was the creation of the greatest alliance in the history of the world.
Sadly there seems little chance of that happening today in Europe. Brussels appears bent on angry retaliation for Brexit, not least because it is terrified that Britain may make a success of independence, thereby undermining the EU’s claims to be pivotal for economic progress in Europe.
There is also the malignant influence of Germany which, according to reports, has been pressing for a “hardline” approach towards Britain.
With all its economic muscle Germany is undoubtedly the driving force behind the European project.
Yet this stance is riddled with hypocrisy, for according to the newspaper Handelsblatt, Germany is the biggest breaker of Brussels rules and is currently the subject of 74 infringement proceedings by the Commission.
The British Government should have nothing to fear from Brexit. The latest bout of EU bullying shows how right our nation has been to embrace national sovereignty once more. The truly terrifying prospect lies in further surrender to the ideologues of Brussels.
‘Danger Britain could become a vassal state’