“No. No. No”
Thatcher signed up to the Single Market but her speech in Bruges in 1988 sets out her stall…a stall that sounds remarkably like the Brexit one……a reformed, decentralised EU of independent sovereign states celebrating their Christian heritage…
My first guiding principle is this: willing and active cooperation between independent sovereign states is the best way to build a successful European Community.
To try to suppress nationhood and concentrate power at the centre of a European conglomerate would be highly damaging and would jeopardise the objectives we seek to achieve.
Europe will be stronger precisely because it has France as France, Spain as Spain, Britain as Britain, each with its own customs, traditions and identity. It would be folly to try to fit them into some sort of identikit European personality.
I want to see us work more closely on the things we can do better together than alone.
Europe is stronger when we do so, whether it be in trade, in defence or in our relations with the rest of the world.
But working more closely together does not require power to be centralised in Brussels or decisions to be taken by an appointed bureaucracy.
Indeed, it is ironic that just when those countries such as the Soviet Union, which have tried to run everything from the centre, are learning that success depends on dispersing power and decisions away from the centre, there are some in the Community who seem to want to move in the opposite direction.
We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at a European level with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels.
Certainly we want to see Europe more united and with a greater sense of common purpose.
But it must be in a way which preserves the different traditions, parliamentary powers and sense of national pride in one’s own country; for these have been the source of Europe’s vitality through the centuries.
It is a matter of plain common sense that we cannot totally abolish frontier controls if we are also to protect our citizens from crime and stop the movement of drugs, of terrorists and of illegal immigrants.
Europe must continue to maintain a sure defence through NATO.
There can be no question of relaxing our efforts, even though it means taking difficult decisions and meeting heavy costs.
It is to NATO that we owe the peace that has been maintained over 40 years.
Let Europe be a family of nations, understanding each other better, appreciating each other more, doing more together but relishing our national identity no less than our common European endeavour.
We in Britain are rightly proud of the way in which, since Magna Carta in the year 1215, we have pioneered and developed representative institutions to stand as bastions of freedom.
And proud too of the way in which for centuries Britain was a home for people from the rest of Europe who sought sanctuary from tyranny.
But we know that without the European legacy of political ideas we could not have achieved as much as we did.
From classical and mediaeval thought we have borrowed that concept of the rule of law which marks out a civilised society from barbarism.
And on that idea of Christendom, to which the Rector referred—Christendom for long synonymous with Europe—with its recognition of the unique and spiritual nature of the individual, on that idea, we still base our belief in personal liberty and other human rights.
And remember Boris’ remark about the attempts over the millenia by single powers to rule Europe and the way he was attacked……well he was just echoing Thatcher…
We British have in a very special way contributed to Europe.
Over the centuries we have fought to prevent Europe from falling under the dominance of a single power.
If Mrs T. said it, it’s good enough for me.
And me.
OG and OT – as Rush Limbaugh would say……Mega Ditto!!
The REMAIN camp always go on that they are in that to have access to the EU single market and must accept it’s rules without influence, pay a fortune and also free movement via EFTA. They say it’s worse than the UK has now.
This is very misleading as anyone who has lived in Switzerland will tell you that while yes you can cross into that country as you wish under EU free movement, no EU citizen has an automatic right to reside in Switzerland. You must first meet residence criteria and apply. You will also not get access to any part of their welfare system until you have been a resident taxpayer there for 12 straight years. I think this is key to the lack of “social enrichment” that has occurred in Switzerland.
The amount they pay in is less than half billion euro which to the Swiss is pocket change and they get a 3rd share in an airport for that too.
I’ve lived in Switzerland and I can sincerely tell you that it is without a doubt the cleanest, safest, most prosperous, best educated, sensible, most democratic and pretty place in Europe.
It would be destroyed by the EU and I really admire their direct democracy and pride in their own historic culture. No multiculturalism there I can tell you and thats their secret to success.
Copied and posted from a Daily Express commenter.
Seeing this, the Swiss option doesn’t look at all bad.
Not at all the scenario that the remainers have been telling everyone.
Could not be that good being in the EU, as the Swiss have had so many immigrants that they had a ref 2 years ago, that wanted to stop the the movement of people, the Swiss voted for the ref. This is causing a huge problem, because if the Swiss gov enact it they will be breaking their EU treaties. The jury is still out on this one?
Just think what would have happened if maggie was still in power,tony gone,brown gone ,Cam morongone,gimmegrants gone.
What a thought.
Things will have to change when we are out,Euro to be banned so.Euro star becomes Star,Euro tunnel – just tunnel.Euro Millions-Millions and the Eurovision song contest-Vision song contest. Oh THE JOY….
It was the Bruges speech that became Mrs Thatcher’s political death sentence. The powers that be were enraged, realising that she truly “wasn’t one of them”, though she had previously been an enthusiastic Europhile. Plans were put in place to remove her. Think that a putsch can only take place in a strange, far away, foreign country? Think again – one took place in this country in 1990 and the more compliant John Major was put in her place. Oh to be a historian in the future when all the records are freely available…
I agree with you. I don’t think it was the great unwashed rioting about the poll tax which did for her, it was her own side who wielded the knife.
I have just completed my postal vote. Possibly the most important vote of my life. I am sorry to say that I changed my mind at the last moment and voted Remain . Only joking !!!!!!!!!!!! I hope Great Britain will become a free country again and the Union will survive !
Always assuming some busy little BBC-loving public sector vigilante doesn’t ‘correct’ it for you!
GC,
LOL ! That is the risk. But , maybe the same in a polling station . It took me about 30 minutes to work out how to complete the postal voting procedure. Sometimes I wish I was a muslim and someone could do it for me !
Bloody hell Grant, you almost gave me a cardiac arrest! I clutched my pearls and reached for the sal volatile!
Some jokes are just not funny.
Go and stand in a corner.
A hundred year old phrase applicable today…………….
“We are a Nation of Lions Led by Donkeys”
Al Beeb and the Trolls support the donkeys.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36546127
Just note what EU grants have done to the Britain- Cadbury moved factory to Poland, Frod Transit moved to Turkey-can you believe, Jag/LandRover to build newplant in Slovakia. owned by Tata same company that trashed our steel works, Peugeot also moved to Slovakia, Briyish Army’s new Ajax fighter to build in Sapin using Swedish Steel-mad, Dyson gone to Malaya, Gillette gone to Eastern Europe, Texas Instruments gone to Germany, Hoover to Czech Republic and Far East by Italian company Candy, ICI integration into Holland’s AkzoNobel with EU bank loan, then closed UK op down loss 3500 jobs, Boots sold to Italians, HQ Switzerland, UK Airports owned by Spanish Company, Scottish Power owned by Spanish Company, Most London Buses run by Spanish & German companies, The Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to be built by French EFD, 39% of British invention patents have been sold to foreign companies many in EU, MINI cars that the Prime Minister proud of built by BMW mostly in Holland & Austria- systamtic asset stripping of UK industries. Major Technology company still in UK-NONE sold off to France Germany Holland Belgium and beyond-tragic. Vote in and we shall lose everything, vote out and somehow we shall have to regain what we lost otherwise it will be a lean time to come.
The Remainiacs are desperate. The troughing Welsh halfwit Kinnochio said on Al Beeb’s Daily Politics today that the EU would give us more money if we had a Labour government. It’s our fucking money!
Peter ,
You are so right. Thank God it is not my job to change Kinnock’s nappies. You can be sure of one thing. If they lose , they will take it badly. And try and destroy our future. Assholes !
I think you are right Grant. “Scorched earth policy” springs to mind.
Lobbie,
You read my mind. I think the very least is that they should get out of our country. If they love Europe so much, they should go and live there.
Lobbie,
To quote one of my heros ‘ words. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. At a critical point in the fight for Turkish Independence he , unusually , ran out of words and resorted to a comment ( I translate from the Turkish, politely ). ” Some heads will have to roll “. That quelled the opposition.
In the case of UK, if we get our freedom, what are we going to to with the Remainers ? They will hang around like a bad smell.
Grant -Make certain that they cannot have any voice in Parliament-or through Traitors gate they go as should the likes of Blair and his fabien cohorts who should not be able to enjoy the freedoms that we have won.
Maybe take up a career with the UN Refugee Council or OXFAM or Save the Children etc. This growing assortment of liberal multicultural/Globalists will always have room for one or two more!
G,
And all with taxpayers’ money. Parasites !
Peter Grimes
“The troughing Welsh halfwit Kinnochio said on Al Beeb’s Daily Politics today that the EU would give us more money if we had a Labour government.”
Hang on, he could be correct if he was referring to ‘We’ meaning – Mr & Mrs K ?
Pandy Marr writes in this week’s Speccie, and for the first time in my life I hope that I can believe that this perennial supporter of the fascist Left and rabid questioner of the Right on behalf of his Al Beeb masters has got it right.
“Everywhere I go, from cafés (‘hot water please’) to trains and airports, walking down the street or lazing on a Scottish island, I hear, ‘Psst, I’m for out.’ I’ve heard it from Scottish nationalists, red-hot socialists and Tories alike. It’s utterly unscientific, of course, but if I had trusted this kind of informal street chatter during the general election I’d have realised exactly what was going on. I didn’t. I listened to the polls and the commentators. The best bet for the Remain side is a dramatic last-minute moment of alarm. That might happen. But there’s precious little sign of it yet.”
Pity Al Beeb’s star churnalists didn’t get out and about talking to real people in previous years.
Ms Wood is not a happy bunny thanks to UKIP Wales …………….
“The leader of Plaid Cymru has said she has been taken aback by the strength of the campaign in Wales to leave the EU.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36547530
Just, a thought, I wonder what Scott, Aka Jerrold, will be voting, Hmm let me think, he will be taking orders from the Guardianista’s, & his favourite columnist, the boy Jones. Just to think of the irony, he will be voting the same as some Conservatives, who are for In! Ha ha
Without a doubt, the UK has been grossly mismanaged for decades. Didn’t anyone think that the birth ‘Bulge’ post 1946 would result in a block of old, infirm people moving through time and ultimately relying on the State in one way or another? (“From Cradle to the Grave”……). Didn’t anyone foresee that this would create a shortage in the labour market? Didn’t anyone foresee that as a by-product of this, we would need more English doctors, nurses and care workers? I could go on but won’t. Readers get the point. This continuing mismanagement won’t change post 23.06.16 whatever the people’s decision. ‘Heads you win, tails you win’ Cameron (you know the one, “No ifs no but’s Dave”) will still be dictating the new election campaign he is likely to call immediately after a Brexit which, following, the EU “Leader’s” decision to concede a halt or restrictions to Free Movement to keep the UK in, (sorry, paying into the club so the funding of other States ‘Grant Aid’ can continue), you will see a new stall set out. Stopping immigration will be there of course at the top and so, after a while once the dust has settled and the voter re-elects a Conservative Government we can go back to a cosy life and, business as usual with the two-party system. Everyone will be happy: The EU; The Globalist community including the UN, Obama and the other acolytes (IMF etc); George Soros et al. In reality, it needs a ‘Root and Branch’ overhaul. Any bets?