Graham wrote:
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Can anyone really now argue that the British Voting public *want* closer integration and the introduction of the Euro?
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I presume then that the reintroduction of capital punishment is next? I'm pretty sure that a majority of people in the UK would support it, but it doesn't mean it's a good idea. If it is explained that the consequence of reintroducing hanging will result in innocent people being killed by state employees I think fewer people would support it. Likewise if it is explained what the UK will lose by being outside the EU, fewer people would support the UKIP, which has been extremely successful in getting its message across, because it has, er, one message. On my drive into work recently there have been three prominent signs in people's fields and gardens (and one on the 'Welcome to Middlesex' sign on the A316) for the UKIP with the slogan 'Say No To European Union'. I've not seen *any* election posters or billlboards for any other party for the European elections. It seems they didn't actually want to fight. Bizarre, given that the UKIP is pretty easy to attack.
Given that the UKIP has today said that they feel no need to work with the European Parliament and in fact want to wreck it, I suggest that anyone who voted for them has voted not to be represented in a democratic institution, and I can't recall anywhere else that has ever happened.
One other reason for liking the EU I forgot yesterday was that Rupert Murdoch is scared of it - in a world where corporations like News International are bigger than governments (I've lost count of the number of times Blair has gone along with what Murdoch says) I think we need large scale co-operation between nations to provide a balance. In this case, Europe-wide media ownership laws to ensure diversity of media.
Incidentally, I recommend everyone read the UKIP website - the number of times they mention 'co-operation with the United States' on the defence section of their website rather precludes anyone opposing the Iraq war from supporting them. They're also a bit wide of the mark blaming the EU for the Tornado F3 - an aircraft that dates from the early 70s for a NATO requirement. Didn't mention Airbus, either.
They also consider rail privatisation as the consequence of EU membership - a fallacy, rail privatisation was a Tory policy to get the railways off the Government's books.
They stop short of blaming the EU for France beating England last night, but it's surely only a matter of time.
Practically every policy they have depends on spending a vapourous 'Independence Dividend' that would come from EU withdrawal. Hmm...
Practically every failure, real or imaginary is the fault of the EU, even when it isn't. GM food is an EU policy? Monsanto is a US corporation, last time I looked. They seem to exist about fifty years in the past, and a nostalgic politician is a bad politician. Everyone thinks things were better in the past.
So you can see, plenty to aim at. Why on earth neither Labour or the Tories picked them apart I don't know. Still, their loss.