LETTER: Demand a proper EU referendum

Last year the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary wanted to attack Syria, but fortunately MPs thwarted them, knowing that the British people are sick of war, which delivers limited tangible and sustainable benefit, in sectarian countries.

However, we must question for how long the UK will be able to determine its own destiny in that way, when EU Article 1-15 requires member states to support the EU’s common security policy actively and unreservedly.

The Lisbon Treaty also committed us to ‘permanent structured co-operation’ in defence matters.

We also know from Article 1-6, that the EU Constitution has primacy over the laws of member states, which is why we have had difficulty in deporting terrorists.

That primacy was recently reinforced when the ECJ asserted that the European Law of Human Rights shall be deemed to take precedence over our High Court decisions, whether we think that we have opted out or not.

So, the EU continues to edge progressively towards its ambition of ever-closer political union, plus the eventual EU control of our foreign policy and armed forces, whilst the Eurozone with its one-size-fits-all common currency, continues in long term economic decline.

This may be of concern to those old enough to have signed up to a Common Market, not dreaming for a minute that this would lead eventually to monetary, political and military union, whilst having laws imposed on us, that we did not need and we did not ask for.

We might have hoped to retain control of our armed forces, for as long as they have an allegiance to our constitutional Monarch, but even Her Majesty is apparently an EU citizen now.

Indeed, attempts have been made to relieve our police force of the obligation to sign such an allegiance and Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker spearheaded the campaign.

He apparently asserted that this ‘is a matter of democracy’ and that ‘I’m put here by my constituents and it’s to them I owe my allegiance. Taking the oath to an unelected person is a nonsense.’

How long will it be before he proposes the same for our armed forces?

If anyone is concerned at these developments, then I would urge them to continue to demand a meaningful referendum from their MP and MEPs and to turn out to vote in the European Elections, on May 22nd.

Needless to say, I don’t agree with Nick, or indeed any of the political classes, who promised a referendum in 2005 but never delivered on their promise.

ROGER ARTHUR

(UKIP) Horsham district councillor for Chanctonbury ward and UKIP parliamentary candidate for Horsham, North Street, Horsham