If Labour had its way, Britain would cease to be a nation state

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 09 June 2004 | Michael Howard

[MegaSilver]

Europe is not working properly. I am quite clear about that. The European Union pumps out too many rules and regulations, and is too centralised and inflexible. It has a poor track record on waste and fraud, and is a prime example of the failed "big government knows best" approach to life.

For almost a decade, auditors have refused to sign off the EU's accounts because of the level of fraud and corruption in the organisation. Every year, £3 billion goes missing.

Red tape is strangling European business. It has a serious impact on jobs and growth. Productivity in the EU is about 20 per cent lower per worker than it is in America, where they have fewer rules and regulations. Indeed, according to the Treasury if Europe had followed the American model, we would have created more than 28 million jobs.

So Europe has to change. I want to see powers returned from Brussels to Britain. The existing powers that the EU has - or the acquis communautaire, as it is known in the trade - are not set in tablets of stone. Experience tells us that there are powers that Europe has that would be better exercised by national governments.

Fishing, overseas aid and the Social Chapter - which covers employment legislation - are all areas Conservatives would like to see returned to national control. Other countries will have their own ideas. Only last week, the Dutch foreign minister said that he wanted to see social and cultural matters, as well as parts of the common agricultural policy, returned to national control. All these proposals should be judged on their merits - not automatically rejected as an affront to the European ideal.

When it comes to further integration, I have a clear approach, too. If some European countries want to integrate more closely, that's fine - so long as they don't force other countries to join them.

Of course, there are basic requirements everyone must sign up to, the most obvious being the single market. That is a British Conservative initiative driven through by Margaret Thatcher, which brings enormous benefits to Britain. But a single market does not require a single social policy or industrial policy, far less a common taxation policy. Allowing countries to pursue their own policies would force Europe to become more competitive - benefiting everyone.

Now I know there are people who say that this isn't on offer and Britain can do business with Europe in only one of two ways. Either we have to hand over ever more powers. Or we have to give up altogether.

That's just the sort of thing Mrs Thatcher was told in the 1980s. People said to her: "You'll never get our money back from Europe." Of course, she wasn't having that. She said no and, as a result, Britain did get its rebate, a rebate still being paid to this day.

People said the same sort of thing about the euro. They said: "If you don't join, you won't survive on your own." The Conservatives, again, said no.

The truth is that, if you stand up for what you believe in, you can get things done. The euro has taught us that other countries can integrate more closely without forcing everyone to join them. Mrs Thatcher's experience with the rebate showed that, if you stick to your guns, you can get things back from Europe, too.

I know some Telegraph readers are concerned about our alliance with the European People's Party. But the most Euro-sceptic political party in the EU - the Czech ODS, led by President Vaclav Klaus - is a member, too. Like Mr Klaus, I believe in fighting for change from within Europe.

We should never forget that Britain brings a huge amount to the European table. We are Europe's largest defence power. We have the second largest economy in the European Union. We are a net contributor to Europe's budget.

Britain deserves a government that has the confidence to get the best deal for Britain, not a government that gives up at the first hint of trouble. Only the Conservatives can deliver that, because past experience has shown that only the Conservatives will stand up for Britain in Europe. No one likes to say no. But sometimes you have to, if you want to get what you want. Politics isn't just about being popular - it's about getting the job done.

The Conservative Party's approach is the exact opposite of Labour's. Tony Blair is simply not prepared to say no, because, as he admits, he doesn't want to be isolated in Europe. His Government has tabled more than 275 amendments to the proposed European constitution - and failed so far to get all but 10 of them accepted.

Indeed, the Europe minister, Denis MacShane, only recently signed up to a manifesto for a European state. This self-avowed "political vision for Europe" commits Labour to: a taxation policy for Europe; a single immigration policy for Europe; a single welfare system for Europe; and the surrender of Britain's seat at the UN Security Council. If Labour had its way, Britain would cease to be a nation state.

On Sunday, Britain commemorated the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. I was privileged to be asked to join the thousands of Second World War veterans gathered in Normandy for the commemorations. It was the most humbling experience. The price they paid for liberty should never be forgotten.

Today, thanks to their courage, we are now free. But our world remains uncertain and insecure. In such a volatile environment, it is essential that people feel a sense of ownership over - and solidarity with - the institutions that serve them.

The only institution that can provide that sense of ownership and solidarity is the nation state. Without a strong and independent state, no modern democracy can prosper. The nation state is what binds the people of a country. It gives people an identity and a sense of purpose.

That is why I am so hostile to proposals that would transfer more power from Britain to the European Union - and why I want to return powers from Brussels to Westminster.

This is something only the Conservatives can deliver. That is why it is so important to have as many Conservative MEPs as possible in the European Parliament after tomorrow.

[The Duke]

Soverignity...what a concept! (Does this qualify the author for sedition?)

[endthematrix]

Break the back of the UE Commie claptrap! Long live the nation state!

[lainde]

Save yourself England!