The European Union is Self Serving

David Lott, retired Royal Air Force and commercial airline pilot and a founder of the United Kingdom Independent Party, is no stranger to these posts.  He has devoted more than a quarter century to securing Britain's independence from the European Union.  His feelings of nationhood are shared by many in the U.K. and other political parties in Europe.  As the E.U. represents over 500 million persons and a sizable portion of the world's economy, it is important for Americans and others around the globe to understand the feelings and forces at work during our time. - GNH

EU Self Serving

by David Lott

Here in Europe, away from the thrill of a US return towards regime change in Syria to complete the hat trick of nations scalped to hang from its belt, we across the Atlantic are facing a European Union at loggerheads with its own people.

The flags of the member nations of a federated Europe

By this I mean the interests of the EU Administration itself are put ahead of the interests of the people, which has become the norm in ‘democratic’ governments throughout the West. The EU though has a better excuse to be so self serving than most as it has no claim to be Democratic whatsoever.

The EU through its 5 presidents: Rotating President, President of the Council of Ministers, President of the Commission, President of the European Central Bank and President of the EU Parliament have outlined their requirements before trade negotiations can commence for the UK’s departure from the EU.

They are:

1.      A bill for 52 Billion Euros for the UK to pay up front

2.      No representation of the UK on the Council of Ministers for ALL meetings

3.      Forbid the UK to discuss free trade with any other country in the world during the Article 50 process

4.      Allow Spain to have a veto over the whole departure deal unless they are satisfied with the position of Gibraltar with respect to Spain.

5.      To declare that we shall not reduce our corporate taxes or remove anti- competitive EU regulation in order to have a commercial advantage over the EU

Four of these conditions are completely unacceptable and all are an insult to us as a nation which should force us, as a free nation to walk away and accept there will be no deal.

Let me address points 1 and 2 first as they belong together for the purposes of argument.

No official has provided any basis whatsoever for this huge charge of 52 billion euros. There has been no breakdown and no explanation, it is a figure plucked from the air. The UK during its 44 year membership has paid a net 200 billion Euros to the EU, we therefore have a stake in all the buildings and pension funds of the EU; the two Parliament buildings, one in Strasbourg (used one week per month) the other in Brussels (used the rest of the month), the enormous Berlayment Building, the Ministry of the Regions building, the European Central Bank Building in Frankfurt and many minor buildings. Surely they should pay the UK investment off, or at the very least allow the UK to charge rent for the buildings and interest on our stake in the massive pension funds.

 The nations that compose the 28 member Union

As we are not being allowed to have any say in the Council of Ministers at all on any subject we must look at our current payments which will amount to a net amount of a little more than 30 Billion Euros by the time we leave in March 2019. If we are to have no say then surely it is a case of no pay. The same premise which led directly to your War of Independence in the USA. Whilst there may be a case for us to continue to pay into some small projects in which we shall continue to partake in the future, the fact is that a 52 Billion Euros bill to leave is preposterous.

As to item 3 that we should not discuss future trade deals until we leave is just nonsense and I am pleased to see that our government is simply ignoring this pompous edict.

Item 4 is a red line and nothing to do with our leaving the EU and everything to do with Spain’s long running efforts to oust the British from Gibraltar. We protect our own as we did with the Falklands and the Gibraltarians voted in the last referendum by 98% to remain British so we will not and cannot betray them. If the EU insists upon this demand then, as a free nation, we must simply walk away from the negotiations and adopt World Trade Organisation rules and continue trading with the EU on the same basis as most other countries in the world such as the USA.

And item 5 would bind us to EU rules and compliance with the dictates of the European Court of Justice, in other words we would remain in the EU with no ultimate say on taxation and self regulation. Certainly not reflecting our referendum result.

These conditions are not an opening gambit, these EU ‘Presidents’ know they are completely unacceptable and would be rejected out of hand. But worse is the fact that by losing the ability to trade freely with the UK EU businesses will suffer and millions probably will be thrown out of work. We can live without French cheese or wine along with Belgian chocolate of even German cars. We can use markets elsewhere in the world and enjoy lower prices but it will not come to this because popular opinion has to be taken into account at the French, German and Italian elections.

Yes that word ‘popular’ arises again. If the politicians just look after their own interests’ then populism will kick them where it hurts.

Ukip Members of the European Parliament will be travelling around the EU nations over the next 18 months talking to small and medium sized businesses that stand to lose so much if the UK is deliberately alienated, or perhaps punished is a better word. They will find out just how little their masters in Brussels care about them and their families. A conclusion already drawn from the influx of migrants, the strain they are on services, the rise in terrorism, crime and rape in particular which they have to endure. They are abjured to hold hands in solidarity but political Islam laughs at them for such weakness.

In addition the southern nations are bleeding to death under a mountain of debt that is never repayable. They made mistakes for sure but they no longer have the ability with their own currency to inflate their way out of debt. Germany on the other hand thrives from the low value of the Euro.

The EU is reeling from rebellion within their ranks and if they punish the UK then these power lusting fools will pay the price and we shall perhaps all become free again within Europe but not within the EU. Sadly under these circumstances it will not be an orderly transition.

If EU politicians were to grow up, listen and then gradually loosen the strings such that it become a Common Market, which is what we thought we voted for in the first place, then their future as well as that of the UK could emerge peacefully and successfully. Right now though they are going hell for leather for more power and integration. We, in Britain, are taking to our own lifeboat because it is very necessary.  - David Lott, United Kingdom