The devil is in the EU detail

MEPs sanction EU legislation originating from unelected EU Commissioners whose sole allegiance is to the EU project, not their home country. As all but home defence and local taxation are EU ‘Competences’, around 60-80% of UK legislation originates in the EU; most by-passes Westminster, hence Nick ‘read the small print’ Clegg’s “only 7%” (of Statute). Here is more ‘small print’:

Politicians don’t trade, yet Clegg insists 3 million jobs will disappear if we leave. The Office of National Statistics disagrees. Official data shows Britain has 27 EU and 130+ WTO trading partners. In 1967, 80% of British exports in value went to 26 nations (13 European including 5 EEC, 5 EFTA). In 2007, 80% to 20 nations (10 European: 8 EU, 2 EFTA) with America remaining Britain’s and Germany’s top market, while our EU exports decline.

Unlike Clegg, I have worked in exporting industries before and after joining the EEC. Most British motor manufacturers had CKD assembly operations abroad to minimise import restrictions, increase local market share and profits. Joining the Common Market saw many misguided closures of European plants, losing local market share to French, German, Italian, Japanese (now Chinese and Indian) companies, eager for that market.

“Ford and Nissan will leave”! Really? Despite being ‘in the EU’, Ford long ago sold-off its UK tractor, lorry and spark-plug businesses, ended UK car and van production, transferring Transits to non-EU Turkey. Pro-EU Renault (part owned by the French government) transferred UK lorry production to France and manages Nissan UK; Peugeot-Citroen-Talbot transferred to Spain and France, all with massive UK job losses! Today, leading European companies manufacture in low-cost China for the European markets, destroying EU jobs while willingly paying an average 4% import tariff to the EU. That’s business!

Even the EU says leaving the political EU will not affect Britain’s trade with ‘Europe’. QED.

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane, Beckley