The Editorial in the Daily Telegraph April 7th concludes “The Remain Camp is relying not only on the fear of the unknown but also the comfort of the Status Quo”. But we cannot repeat too often: in the EU, there is no Status Quo. The EU is not a destination but a process. To those who think of the EU as a comfortable safe haven, let’s ask some questions.
How many more Port Talbots? Just yesterday I heard EU Commission Vice-President Sefcovic proudly promising “a tsunami of new legislation” aimed to reduce emissions by increasing the cost of CO2 emissions, and therefore the cost of energy. The EU’s green policies have already caused plant closures across the EU in steel, aluminium, chemicals, fertilisers, petroleum refining, glass and ceramics, and other energy-intensive industries. Jobs lost. Investment moved overseas. Perhaps it will be your job and your community to be hit next.
How many more new EU members? David Cameron is gung-ho for Turkey to join the EU. On any reasonable estimate several million of Turkey’s 75 million population will move westwards, looking for freedom, or better security, or higher wages – or perhaps just welfare and healthcare. It’s a fair bet that a million might come to the UK. They may well bring their prejudices and their vendettas with them.
On April 6th, Holland voted against the EU/Ukraine trade deal which many feel is a precursor to Ukrainian accession. But Brussels will find a way forward. Same comments apply as Turkey – even if Ukraine has “only” 45 million people. Do we want to be in an EU that has direct borders with Russia (including the occupation of Crimea and the Donbass), plus Iran, Iraq, Syria?
What about today’s migrants? There are a million in Germany. The German Europe Minister Michael Roth warns of three million more on the way. What can Germany do about it? Simple. It can give them EU passports (or they can buy EU passports cheaply in some eastern EU countries), and they can move to a street near you.
Can we deport illegal migrants? The EU is working on new migrant sharing plans that would replace the Dublin Convention – and thus prevent us from returning migrants to the country of entry. But we won’t know the new rules until after the Referendum. And EU human rights legislation means we are unable either to expel criminals and terrorist suspects, or to monitor the adequately.
How will we face increasing pressures on social infrastructure? Doctors are complaining that they’re overwhelmed by demand. The same goes for hospitals. And schools. All the houses we can build are hardly enough to house newcomers, let alone our own population. We won’t get a grip on the immigration numbers until we leave the EU.
What about our farmers’ CAP payments, and other EU funding? As more and poorer eastern European states join the EU, funding will be diverted from Western Europe to the East. We’ll pay even more and get even less back. Our farmers would be better served by a farm support régime designed in Britain for British farmers rather than made in Brussels for French farmers. Similar comments apply to academic funding and other spending areas.
How will farms survive widespread EU bans on agricultural chemicals? British agriculture and food security is under threat from the EU’s “Precautionary Principle”, and its decision to focus on hazard rather than risk.
How long until the €uro finally collapses? There is an emerging consensus among economists that the only solution to the €uro crisis, short of permanent and massive bail-outs, is to dismantle the €uro. Yet we know that the hubris of the Brussels nomenklatura will never allow that. Meantime the eurozone will continue to underperform, and create real depression in southern Europe.
I say again: there is no Status Quo in the EU. And the risks of staying in far outweigh the risks of getting out.
Roger Helmer MEP 
The In mob, Mrs May in particular, cite the EAW as a good reason for remaining in the EU because of the increased security it offers the UK in that we can quickly and easily extradite our criminals from within other EU countries. It therefore follows that they can extradite their criminals from the UK with equal ease.
Sadly not. The ECJ has apparently ruled that if extradition involves returning someone to a country within the EU where the jails are a bit rough and ready, it is an infringement of some human right or other. A Romanian and Bulgarian have thus retained their freedom in Germany where they have yet to commit a crime. The Germans are thus hosting a couple of criminals and their victims back home will never see justice.
So not only is the EAW now emasculated, it still does not require the same level of evidence as within the UK system which stretches back to 1215 in the Magna Carta, so our citizens remain at risk of what would in the UK be false imprisonment.
In fact I have dealt with cases where Brits have been extradited under the EAW and kept in disgraceful conditions without the benefits of habeus corpus or the standards we expect in the UK. I’m in favour of proper extradition procedures, but the EAW lacks all checks and balances and puts out citizens at great risk.
Roger is there no avenue for a legal challenge available for the £15million extra of taxpayers’ money being spent by the Remainders ? I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brexit campaign can raise even more to counter it, (just £1 each from 40% of 30million voters) and the negative publicity is invaluable – is there a cunning Brexit mole working in the Remain PR? – but a legal trouncing on top would make a perfect storm…
I believe that the E.U. is the most corrupt government system on Earth. It has been built upon lies, and with foundations like that, it will fall at some point in the future. We in the U.K. would do well to get as far as possible away from it. Now consider the leader of the stay ins, and his view of a fair referendum. A cap was placed on spending for the ins and the outs, but because the outs seem to be holding up well, public money is used to force the undecided to vote in ! Should we be surprised at this ? …….. Well, Mr. Cameron Sen. put his money out of the way of the U.K. tax man, and young David was sent to Eaton, with rather high fees, so in effect we all have contributed to our P.M’s schooling ! Is it any wonder then, that David Cameron sees nothing wrong with tilting the playing field in his favour. Now I don’t know, or care, if Eaton teaches these sort of values, but it is clear that the Father of our P.M. had no problems in that direction. ………. The mantra of our P.M. – When asked a question, PREVARICATE ! If pushed for an answer, LIE ! If shown that something is bad, CHANGE THE SUBJECT ! Give people a referendum but, BE SURE IT GOES YOUR WAY ! Fairness is for sport, POLITICS CAN AND WILL BE ‘ MANAGED ‘! ………. and there are still good littles boys and girls, who will do as they are told by Uncle David ! ! ! Makes me puke ! VOTE OUT PLEASE. – THANK YOU !
Well said Mike. I second all of that.
Since there is no way you can negotiate a new arrangement with the EU from scratch in the 2 years allowed after article 50 is invoked, and since the EU will not start to negotiate in earnest until article 50 is invoked, we should take the EFTA/EEA route as a first step as if we don’t win the first battle, the referendum, we will lose the war. You cannot leave the EU in any other way without breaking treaty obligations, and the government will not do this. Once out we can plan the next step.
You make the clear point, pirate3012. The difference between ins and outs comes down to freedom. If we get stuck with being in the E.U., in just a short time, we will have no ability to exercise our freedom. Their Parliament might make a noise, but the appointed few will have their way. Our Parliament, as has already been seen, will be powerless to help. VOTE OUT and we will be free, just in time. If our Government makes a mess, we, the people, can vote them out and try another bunch of fools, but we won’t be stuck with the same fools ! There are so many items where OUT is the only way to go, but this one point is so clear, I really do have a problem with understanding anyone who wants to stay. The door is open and we need to go through !
Mike, Your government(sic) can just leave. The only excuse they have is that it would be against the law to do so. BRITAIN SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO FOREIGN LAW..
There can be agreements but as they are not law as in criminal law but as in contract law.
Mike. Oh I’m definitely voting to leave but my concern is the undecided voter who I feel would be more confident into voting to leave if they were out of the EU but in the single market. This kills the scare stories stone dead. Personally I don’t mind this as an interim step as if we don’t win the referendum battle we’ll lose the war for the foreseeable future. If we need to compromise to get out of the EU then at least we’ve got off the train. That buys us time to take the next step, whatever that is, but at least we’ll be able to take it.
I have to come clean on my wishes. I want OUT of the E.U. totally, and only want to hear about Brussels, as a slightly nice city in Europe. Your idea of keeping, for the time being, our interest in the Single Market, is good. Very good ! This can be used to swell our ranks. Out of the E.U. for their Governance, but still having trade with them. The tie would be broken and the future is not yet written. ( It’s a shame that our money would still be going their way )!
Reblogged this on John Poynton.
I agree there is no status quo.
Take the Euro as an example. There can’t be a status quo because either (i) it needs the Eurozone to become a fully fledged state for it to succeed or (ii) it will break up.
I would suggest even the eu-fanatics agree on this point.
Also, “Crisis” is the eu’s middle name. To get some flavour of the future all we need to do is look at the recent past. Judging by that, if the UK remains we are faced with our ministers attending one crisis summit after another. That is no way to run things.
There is no status quo except Down Down, Deeper and Down
The E.U. merry go round continues.
Corruption, snouts in the trough, energy omission scams, closed door E.U. policy making, years of E.U. accounts not signed off because of £billions not being accounted for and lost for ever and so on and so on.
Not only local and national governments need a clean out, but world politicians, big business and banks need to give their accountability to the very people they serve!
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