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On
the High Street in Newmarket and Haverhill and in the shops and pubs of
West Suffolk villages, I found hardly anyone who could tell me anything
about the Laeken Convention deliberating on the future of Europe. This
Convention, chaired by ex-French President Giscard D'Estaing and attended
by over 120 national and European Parliamentarians from 25 European
countries, has sat for over 18 months to map out the form of EU
institutions to accommodate 10 new members and to identify which policies
can be determined by national parliaments. These politicians, supported by
an army of bureaucrats, are drafting a "Constitution" for what
they think will be a "United States of Europe"!
The
United Kingdom has the oldest and most stable democratic system of
government in Europe. Many existing EU members and almost all the new
applicant countries have experienced occupations, revolutions, civil wars
and economic collapse. The UK has a stable and prosperous
economy with a low level of unemployment. Why should we be dictated
to by an amalgam of European countries who seek security in a faceless,
unelected government in Brussels that they can trust more than their own
national government?
Our
Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, must consult our people through public debate,
with government ministers appearing on television to explain in simple
English what changes are being proposed. Mr. Blair must seek consensus and
approval by offering a referendum on the Convention. People in West
Suffolk will not accept an open commitment allowing the European
Commission to erode our national sovereignty and reduce our Westminster
Parliament to the status of a district council!
The
majority of our people say:-
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NO
to a European Constitution and a federal United States of Europe.
-
NO
to a single legal identity for the EU if it threatens our seat at the
UN Security Council and our independence within NATO.
-
NO
to a legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights if it overrides our
national legislation for social and employment policies.
-
NO
to a common Foreign and Defence Policy if it removes Westminster's
control on the UK's international relations.
-
NO
to a common Home Affairs and Immigration Policy if it means loss of
our national parliament's control on asylum seekers and immigrants
coming to settle in Britain.
-
YES
to a new Treaty to incorporate all previous treaties - preferably in
simple understandable English.
-
YES
to co-operation - not integration - in areas of mutual benefit e.g.
trade, environment, transport, sharing intelligence to control drug
and criminal gangs.
-
YES
to more accountability, transparency and efficiency to give value for
money to EU taxpayers.
-
YES
to achieving a true single open and competitive market in goods and
services, including financial services.
-
YES
to reform of EU institutions to reduce bureaucracy and legislation
that neither create jobs nor add value or quality to our lives.
Mr.
Blair, the people of West Suffolk are united in keeping the UK in Europe,
but we do not want Europe to run our government and our lives!
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