Respect for councillor Kathryn field, but Parliament is losing control

I have to take issue with Kathryn Field for her article ‘Parliament is taking back control’ in the Battle Observer of September 6. I have always respected Kathryn Field for the good work she has done as a Rother District Councillor and for most of my adult life I voted for her party which I thought believed as I do in proportional representation.

When Nick Clegg seized the chance to share power and promptly discarded his Party’s manifesto pledges I lost faith in his party and the final straw was when I became aware of the Lib Dems infatuation with the undemocratic EU. Kathryn states that ‘no material measures can be forced upon us against our wishes’.

She rightly points out that decisions have to be approved by the European Parliament.

What she does not say is that the EU operates a system called Qualified Majority Voting. Britain has only 73 MEPs out of a total of 751 and is in a minority. Decisions which adversely affect Britain can be taken by only 55%(16) of member states in the Council of Ministers. Our right of veto over as many as 43 competences was removed when the Nice Treaty was replaced by the provisions of the Lisbon treaty on November 1, 2014.

It is important to understand that the EU has been and still is evolving. Any remaining rights of veto, over matters such as Defence and tax can and almost certainly will be removed by future treaties if we remain in this diabolical organisation. The eventual aim is to create a federal European super state where member countries have forfeited their rights to self-government. Make no mistake, Germany and France will be the controlling force of this monster.

Rather than taking back control, our Parliament is losing control and will eventually serve little purpose as all legislation will be passed by the European Parliament and enacted by the Executive (our Government). Member countries will have to abide by decisions taken by a few powerful people at the top in the EU. It is a top down organisation designed to control everything from the way we lead our lives to the way we think and where freedom of choice is not allowed. We were taken into this organisation on a deliberate lie when in 1974 we were told it was only about free trade. It can now be seen that it is far more about politics than trade. Now the cat is out of the bag and so confident are the EU leaders in what they think they can achieve that Chancellor Merkel has now openly stated that the next task is to create a ‘real true European army’. If we stay in the EU no doubt our Army, Navy and Airforce will be expected to form a part of this European army. Britain has to wake up to what is happening to our country, to our way of life and to the loss of the basic freedoms we once enjoyed as a free country controlling our own affairs.

With so many misleading statements being made about Brexit and the regular use of ridiculous and emotive phrases such as ‘falling off a cliff edge’ it is vital that the full facts are made clear. Any disruption after Brexit will be only temporary as traders and institutions adjust to the new situation. If the EU insist on setting tariffs on our imports from the EU some things will increase in price. Eventually things like food, clothing and footwear will become cheaper when we can import these goods from outside the EU without having to pay EU imposed tariffs as we do at present (these incidentally go to the EU, we do not benefit). The confrontational stance taken by MPs who refuse to accept the referendum result can only hasten the demise of Parliament by destroying any respect the electorate may once have had for it. It is time to stop the arguing and to break free from the shackles of the EU. Let us make a fresh start and make the most of the opportunities awaiting us in the wider world.