Back in the early nineties, when my eyes began to open to just how much control the European Union had over our elected Government – and us the people, I made a simple car sticker on some coloured paper and using some Pritt Stick glued it to the back window of my old estate car. It read: “I am proud to be British, not European”.
As well as being proud of my country, I was also quite proud of my handy work but was constantly puzzled by the attitude of many who used to comment and say: “Shouldn’t you say English rather than British?” My attitude was no, I am British, I live in Great Britain which is not just England but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we are a United Kingdom with a united history, so why shouldn’t I be proud to be British?
I was proud of our united achievements, our industrial heritage in all parts of our United Kingdom, our car plants in the Midlands where I live, our shipbuilding history in Scotland and the North East, our steelworks and coal production in Wales, plus other mining in Wales which at one time produced top quality slate and shipped to places around the world. Even my own Midlands town of Walsall was world famous for its saddle making and other leather goods. Everywhere you looked around the British Isles there was something to be proud of – then Tony Blair and his New Labour demolition outfit were elected and the process of dismantling the UK in earnest began.
He promised, and gave, referendums on devolution to Scotland and Wales. People such as myself wrote to complain that as these referendums were about to dismantle Great Britain, how come only a minority of the British people, i.e. those living in Scotland and Wales, were allowed a vote while the English majority were not. Surely, was my reasoning, we should all have a say.
One thing you have to remember with British referendums, they are usually biased and seldom fair, and if the Government of the day can’t find a way to fix them to give the outcome it wants, then all sorts of excuses are made why we don’t need them. For proof of this all we have to do is look at the 1975 referendum on continued membership of the Common Market, which was the most corrupt and biased vote ever in the UK. Years later we were denied a vote on joining the single currency, the Lisbon Treaty and not very long ago our membership of the EU. The Government knew it stood more than a good chance of losing those referendums, they were the referendums we wanted but never got, hence the English being refused a vote on devolution despite the fact it affected them too.
So now we have the news that the SNP administration in Scotland wants complete independence to become a nation in its own right once again. The slippery David Cameron is doing his best to outflank the slippery Alex Salmond, so much so it is almost like watching a political Turkish oil wrestling contest. Cameron wants the referendum early because he thinks he can win it, while Salmond wants it later for the same reason.
For me personally I have a great difficulty regarding the complete break away of Scotland. On one hand it can be compared with what anti-EU campaigners such as I myself are working for as we want Britain to break away from the union we have with the EU, so to say I oppose this for Scotland would be hypocritical. However, there are differences.
The treaty that joined the Kingdoms of Scotland and England go back over three hundred years to 1707, Wales was already governed by laws made in Westminster by then and all of Ireland had been taken over by Cambro-Normans long before, this gives us a lot of history together. The people of the United Kingdom have stood on battlefields together, worked together and done great things together to make the United Kingdom a democracy to be proud of – this has not happened in the EU.
Great Britain is a large contributor to EU coffers, we give far too much of our wealth to it which is money that would be much better spent on things needed here. Scotland is a net benefactor and receives money from the exchequer, as well as EU structural funds which is made up by a large amount of British taxpayer’s money. So these are some differences to the situation. Added to this, Britain as a whole has very little say in the EU, we have less than ten per cent representation in the European Parliament, which matters little anyway as the EU Parliament is only there as a democratic façade for the EU. We are also constantly outvoted through the use of QMV at the Council of Ministers meetings, we have little say and little influence in the EU. Yet when it comes to representation in our Westminster Parliament, each Scottish Parliamentary constituency is smaller than the English constituencies meaning the people of Scotland individually are better represented than the English. Added to this, Scottish politicians have become British Prime Ministers such as Gordon Brown – although that is nothing to be proud of.
When you consider these facts, in reality the people of Scotland would be better advised to spend their time and efforts campaigning for Britain to leave the EU rather than for full independence for Scotland – which will not be independence as the EU will class Scotland as an EU region than a country.
What happens in Scotland if it does achieve the wishes of the SNP and its leader Alex Salmond? This is a question being asked seriously. If it breaks away to become a nation in its own right will it be classed as a member of the EU? If not will it then have to apply to join the EU if it wanted to sacrifice its new found independence? What would its currency be, if it sticks with Sterling it will still be under the control of the English economy and if it created its own Scottish currency how would it cope on global markets? If it broke away and was still classed as an EU member would it convert to using euros from the day it becomes independent? That of course if any nation which is a member of the EU can be classed as independent which now makes most of ours, and everyone else’s laws.
I hope the Scottish decide to stay part of our British Union but fear it has gone too far to stop the break up. I fear for the Scottish under the dominance of the EU, the only good thing that I can visualise from such a break up would be a sharp reduction in Labour Party Members of Parliament as a large proportion are Scottish MPs, even Charles Kennedy the frothing at the mouth EU fanatic ex Liberal Democratic Party leader would be out, along with their five minute leader, Menzies Campbell. Now that can’t be bad at all.
When the time does come for the people of Scotland to vote on this issue we all must hope they give great consideration to all the possible outcomes of their decision. I personally look forward to the day when we as a United Kingdom leave the EU rather than England, Wales and Nothern Ireland without Scotland, which will be left to the mercy of the EU – that will be the moment the Scottish realise the full meaning of being governed by a remote power.
As well as being proud of my country, I was also quite proud of my handy work but was constantly puzzled by the attitude of many who used to comment and say: “Shouldn’t you say English rather than British?” My attitude was no, I am British, I live in Great Britain which is not just England but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we are a United Kingdom with a united history, so why shouldn’t I be proud to be British?
I was proud of our united achievements, our industrial heritage in all parts of our United Kingdom, our car plants in the Midlands where I live, our shipbuilding history in Scotland and the North East, our steelworks and coal production in Wales, plus other mining in Wales which at one time produced top quality slate and shipped to places around the world. Even my own Midlands town of Walsall was world famous for its saddle making and other leather goods. Everywhere you looked around the British Isles there was something to be proud of – then Tony Blair and his New Labour demolition outfit were elected and the process of dismantling the UK in earnest began.
He promised, and gave, referendums on devolution to Scotland and Wales. People such as myself wrote to complain that as these referendums were about to dismantle Great Britain, how come only a minority of the British people, i.e. those living in Scotland and Wales, were allowed a vote while the English majority were not. Surely, was my reasoning, we should all have a say.
One thing you have to remember with British referendums, they are usually biased and seldom fair, and if the Government of the day can’t find a way to fix them to give the outcome it wants, then all sorts of excuses are made why we don’t need them. For proof of this all we have to do is look at the 1975 referendum on continued membership of the Common Market, which was the most corrupt and biased vote ever in the UK. Years later we were denied a vote on joining the single currency, the Lisbon Treaty and not very long ago our membership of the EU. The Government knew it stood more than a good chance of losing those referendums, they were the referendums we wanted but never got, hence the English being refused a vote on devolution despite the fact it affected them too.
So now we have the news that the SNP administration in Scotland wants complete independence to become a nation in its own right once again. The slippery David Cameron is doing his best to outflank the slippery Alex Salmond, so much so it is almost like watching a political Turkish oil wrestling contest. Cameron wants the referendum early because he thinks he can win it, while Salmond wants it later for the same reason.
For me personally I have a great difficulty regarding the complete break away of Scotland. On one hand it can be compared with what anti-EU campaigners such as I myself are working for as we want Britain to break away from the union we have with the EU, so to say I oppose this for Scotland would be hypocritical. However, there are differences.
The treaty that joined the Kingdoms of Scotland and England go back over three hundred years to 1707, Wales was already governed by laws made in Westminster by then and all of Ireland had been taken over by Cambro-Normans long before, this gives us a lot of history together. The people of the United Kingdom have stood on battlefields together, worked together and done great things together to make the United Kingdom a democracy to be proud of – this has not happened in the EU.
Great Britain is a large contributor to EU coffers, we give far too much of our wealth to it which is money that would be much better spent on things needed here. Scotland is a net benefactor and receives money from the exchequer, as well as EU structural funds which is made up by a large amount of British taxpayer’s money. So these are some differences to the situation. Added to this, Britain as a whole has very little say in the EU, we have less than ten per cent representation in the European Parliament, which matters little anyway as the EU Parliament is only there as a democratic façade for the EU. We are also constantly outvoted through the use of QMV at the Council of Ministers meetings, we have little say and little influence in the EU. Yet when it comes to representation in our Westminster Parliament, each Scottish Parliamentary constituency is smaller than the English constituencies meaning the people of Scotland individually are better represented than the English. Added to this, Scottish politicians have become British Prime Ministers such as Gordon Brown – although that is nothing to be proud of.
When you consider these facts, in reality the people of Scotland would be better advised to spend their time and efforts campaigning for Britain to leave the EU rather than for full independence for Scotland – which will not be independence as the EU will class Scotland as an EU region than a country.
What happens in Scotland if it does achieve the wishes of the SNP and its leader Alex Salmond? This is a question being asked seriously. If it breaks away to become a nation in its own right will it be classed as a member of the EU? If not will it then have to apply to join the EU if it wanted to sacrifice its new found independence? What would its currency be, if it sticks with Sterling it will still be under the control of the English economy and if it created its own Scottish currency how would it cope on global markets? If it broke away and was still classed as an EU member would it convert to using euros from the day it becomes independent? That of course if any nation which is a member of the EU can be classed as independent which now makes most of ours, and everyone else’s laws.
I hope the Scottish decide to stay part of our British Union but fear it has gone too far to stop the break up. I fear for the Scottish under the dominance of the EU, the only good thing that I can visualise from such a break up would be a sharp reduction in Labour Party Members of Parliament as a large proportion are Scottish MPs, even Charles Kennedy the frothing at the mouth EU fanatic ex Liberal Democratic Party leader would be out, along with their five minute leader, Menzies Campbell. Now that can’t be bad at all.
When the time does come for the people of Scotland to vote on this issue we all must hope they give great consideration to all the possible outcomes of their decision. I personally look forward to the day when we as a United Kingdom leave the EU rather than England, Wales and Nothern Ireland without Scotland, which will be left to the mercy of the EU – that will be the moment the Scottish realise the full meaning of being governed by a remote power.
1 comment:
In response to your 4th paragraph from the bottom. I wonder if all this re Scotland is a diversion to take our minds away from the HS2 and the EU's Regions through Mr Cameron's Localism Act?
However, back to the antics of Mr Salmond. Most of us in the UK continue to fight for the freedom of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Freedom from foreign rule. We think of Scotland and the Scots as a Nation and a Country in their own right, we respect them as such and rejoice and share that joy with them, particularly at the start of a New Year. Boy! The Scots sure can ‘party!
Recorded in the Scottish Parliament under 'European Committee', Tuesday 22nd May 2001 Afternoon Session, on EU Governance, Mr Dammeyer (From the EU's Committee of the Regions) made clear that, "We have to respect that Scotland is a nation but, at the European level and in the European discussion, Scotland is like a region."
However, through Mr Cameron's recent Localism Act, the once great Country and Nation of ENGLAND and the ENGLISH, for the first time in the history of this Country is allowing foreigners to decide we must have this extra layer of EU Governance for England also has been divided into EU Regions. Wales and Northern Ireland are also classed as EU Regions as is London with its elected Mayor. If you vote for elected Mayors, they will have full Cabinets and all the entourage that goes with them and yes, you will also pay for them.
Can we all afford this extra at this particular time? Our own Politicians have done what Hitler was never allowed to do, divide our country and nation up into bite size pieces, all working against one another. Thus, the powers that be (The EU) are hoping this Great United Kingdom will never be strong enough to stand up against the rest of "that which is to come". All this dividing up of England was done without even one word by Mr Cameron uttering that he had to do this because it was legislation from the European Union-yes, it is even recorded on the Council of Europe’s website.
In implementing this, a British Government has recognised that the UK’s Sovereignty over our ‘land’ has been passed to the EU to decide what method of EU Governance the EU wants in place to govern this Country by.
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