Eurofacts

24^th February, 2006

Vol 11 - No 10

The Conservative Party made a serious tactical error in playing down the ‘European issue’ during the 2005 General Election for which it paid a significant political price -even if this enabled it to avoid internal disputes. And if it continues to suggest that Europe is a non -issue it may do itself serious further damage.

This is one of the conclusions reached by Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Essex in a new book,

The European Question and The National Interest,

Published this week by the Social Affairs Unit.

Pointing to the fact that but for the intervention of UKIP and Veritas the Party would have an additional 27 seats and would have restricted the Labour majority to

, he writes:

“This indicates the extent to which an explicit Euro-scepticism on the part of the Conservatives might well help the Party electorally, whatever the pressure from members of the Party against such an option.”

[It is most unlikely that Mr Nice-Guy would agree]

Professor Black suggests that the Party’s failure to engage the public on the European issue in 2005 constituted a serious tactical error.

“ It would have been appropriate to admit past mistakes, particularly at

Maastricht

[The OPEN DOOR to a United States of Europe]

-and suggest present remedies.”

However, the onward drive of European harmonisation provides the Conservative Party with opportunities as well as problems. But he points out:

“If the Conservatives fail to take the opportunity, they may be outflanked not only by UKUP, but more seriously by Labour, if under a Brown leadership, it adopts a robust, nationalist position different to that of Blair.

The latter prospect poses a particular challenge for the Conservatives. There may indeed be a repetition, albeit in a different form, of the response among some to the first Blair Government.

Relief that he distanced himself from the Left and continued some of the Conservatives policies led to a failure to devote sufficient attention to the dangerous attitudes, initiatives and practices of the government.”

Professor Black warns Conservatives of two further dangers:

-of regarding reform of European Institutions as a credible option and of being inhibited from basing policy on considerations of National interest for fear of being labelled extremist.

[The chances of the Conservative leadership considering such a positive Eurosceptic stance after all the latest spongy and wet slogans is NIL. Only a change of leader with proven record of a strong eurosceptic attitude might make the millions that have left the fold to return -But don’t count on it as many have a long memory of Conservative misdeeds to but it mildly]

To continue:

[Professor Black] writes:

“ …reform short of renegotiation is not credible, no more than policy negotiation includes the option of admitting failure. Renegotiation is essentially an inter-governmental strategy, not an integrationist one…”

“The Conservatives also need to accept that they will always be stigmatised by their opponents as extremist.

They should not allow fears of this charge to set their agenda. The charge is untrue in itself and has not prevented a third of voters from supporting the Party.

There is a scant sign that more will rally if the extreme label is not applied, and there is no reason to suppose that such a slandering will not happen whatever the Conservative purpose.

Professor Black believes that the future of the EU is likely to be a bleak one. He argues that a political system cannot work unless the bulk of the population identifies with it.

Yet the EU has failed to replace the Nation as a focus for Identity and thus LOYALTY.

The central political problem of government, he says, is that of eliciting consent, and the Nation State is still the most effective means of achieving that.

The European Question and the National Interest

Jeremy Black

-is published by the Social Affairs Unit- ISBN 1 904863 08 6.

Available from June Press £16.99 plus p&p.

Tel:08456 120 175

Email: info@junepress.com

PLEASE ADD 10% P&P (UK ONLY)

[Font altered-bolding and underlining used-comments in brackets]

MAR/06

Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty-2008

Leaders of the European Union's 27 member states meet in Portugal this week to sign what will now become known as the Lisbon Treaty.

*

The abolition of Britain
by The Reform Treaty
- Second Reading-Passed by majority of 138

*

Veteran parliamentarian TONY BENN speaks of the absolute necessity of a

REFERENDUM

HEAR HIM ON

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o0I-ZdvQz1o

13th October,2007

So You Want Out Of The EU

THEN WHY NOT SIGN THE

RENUNCIATION of EU CITIZENSHIP

WHY WE ASK YOUR SUPPORT

When we first saw the petition we reasoned that it had no chance of success from No 10 but we supported it in order to gauge the number of Britons who would publicly put their name to a list which stated that they wished to RENUNCIATE EU CITIZENSHIP and retain only BRITISH.-THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. Some might say that to hide behind a negative premise is both cowardly and playing into the hands of the EU FEDERALISTS. DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT- Place your vote so ALL can see that YOU CARE. about YOUR COUNTRY and YOUR FREEDOM.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Optout