Give us a 'fair' referendum on EU membership - Nigel Farage
by Nigel Farage
British Prime Minister David Cameron's next trick will be telling the people of the United Kingdom he needs a chance to renegotiate and make a deal with the European Union. Renegotiation is an option but not a solution. The British people deserve a true choice in a straight in/out referendum. Cameron does not want them to have one in case citizens do not give him the answer he wants, which is to stay in the EU. But only after a 'no' vote could we get that free trade deal. You know, the one we thought we had signed up to in 1975.
There is currently a lot of talk about the promise of a referendum on the EU, in the Westminster air. Cameron has a huge amount of ground to make up in the polls and some Conservatives think this could be the promise to give them a boost. Caveat emptor. But buyers and voters beware; we have had promises of EU referenda before. They came to nought.
Who can forget Cameron's promise to The Sun newspaper in September 2007, when he said: " Today, I will give this cast-iron guarantee: If I become PM, a Conservative government will hold a referendum on any EU treaty that emerges from these negotiations. No treaty should be ratified without consulting the British people in a referendum." Of course, the three big parties at Westminster in October 2011 told their MPs to vote against a motion calling for a referendum to be held on UK membership. With their blanket three- line whips, just like the EU itself, they were willing to bully and bulldoze all in their path to ensure that the will of this political class is carried out.
They will not listen to the people. Yet the public's call for a referendum is becoming stronger. Just this week, a poll by Populus showed that a clear 80 per cent of the electorate want such a poll. Even well-known Europhiles like Lord Owen have added their voice to this popular call. However, we have a problem. In previous party manifestos, promises have been made but not kept. So how can we trust the Labour and Tory parties now? If a referendum on membership were to be promised, would the wording be clear and actionable? People want democracy, people want to be able to vote. They want to express their will and have their will carried out.
Will any referendum that is called be free and fair? Would there be guarantees to ensure equal spending and equal media coverage for both sides? These issues are hugely important. There would be no use in having a referendum and having one side totally dominating the media or even the European Commission becoming involved and outspending a patriotic party like the UK Independence Party by a huge margin.
Many voters were surprised by the three-line whips in the referendum vote in the House Commons last October. Yet now, people have started to wake up and see through the false promises, the arrogance and deviousness of mainstream political parties. If a referendum on membership is called, which side would each party leader support? At this stage, it would seem that every leader of the LibLabCon would vote to stay within the political union that is the EU. It is sad, but true, that UKIP is the only political party which calls for the UK to withdraw from the EU and become a trader on the global stage, rather than being tied to a failing Europe.
There are other vital points to be raised. Would the necessary legislation be put in place before the next general election? No parliament may bind its successor, but it would show good faith and a strong will if this were so. There has never been a better time for an in/out EU referendum. The euro currency is in crisis. And as we speak, there is a large power grab by the EU taking place and talk of a new treaty or treaty change. Now is the chance to grab that opportunity for real change. This is the biggest issue facing the UK - by whom and where should our laws be made? In London, or in Brussels?
Our argument is resonating around the country like never before. The people have now woken up. They are restless and will not stop until their voice is heard. We want out of the EU, we want to control our own lives and we want our democracy back. That is why a referendum on this issue is vital and the quicker it comes, the better for all of us. We will work tirelessly until we achieve this goal.
Nigel Farage MEP is leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party
UKIP seems to be a party filled with anti-women sentient - it is a one man band and it is all about Nigel Farage, or so it seems, claims Labour Party MEP Mary Honeyball
Mr Farage, I agree with your call for a 'fair' referendum. But how do we go about organising a fair referendum, if voters are bombarded with anti-EU myths on a daily basis by the Murdoch and Desmond media empires?
Chris - Liverpool
What of the 'time-bomb' that was the 50p tax rate left by Brown? I think we can hold future governments to a particular principle, if the action resonates strongly enough. Labour had its 'fair' 50p tax rate, which is anything but, and the Conservatives can have the referendum. Even now, Milliband is considering an offer pre-2015; it will be the right-wing's time bomb.
Fair's fair, but you're right, it will be uphill trying to fight off certain broadcasters, the EU war chest and all the mainstream parties. Hopefully, UKIP can enact some kind of Obama online campaign; the 2008 election was one with the internet. We most certainly will get Milliband, thanks to DC's useless term - but it doesn't mean Labour voters want us to stay in any more than we do. I just hope we are the first to leave, I'd hate to think we were pipped at the post or, heaven forbid, dragged down with the sinking ship.
Either way, I know nobody with any guts will be up there telling it like it is. We need people to know why we're leaving - the country that beat Napoleon twice and National Socialism in a certain Germanic "member state". We need them to see Britain as she used to be known: strong and independent. That's the message to give when leaving, with our heads held high that we played by the rules and tried our best. It's how you play the game.
Tom - London
In the grand scheme of things, the UK is not (anymore at least) 'strong' and cannot progress independently. That has nothing to do with EU membership, but global demographic changes on whole:
Mark - Swindon
Mr Farage is right that renegotiation is not a solution. It can only, therefore, be an 'option' for bamboozling the public and denying them a referendum on the grounds that something might eventually happen.
Quite simply, under EU Case Law, once powers are ceded to EU level - member countries have to accept that the loss of national sovereignty is permanent within the EU; although, they can get out of it. This is because the goals of the EU are ever closer political and economic union, and EU members are bound to do nothing that jeopardises them.
Renegotiation - in the sense of taking powers back - is a total non-starter. Nor is the status quo - we would have to accept more centralisation of powers to the EU if we stayed in.
New Alliance - Britain - Great without the EU
It is going to be extremely hard to get a fair' referendum because Brussels will throw millions of euros at the 'In' campaign to create a whole raft of intimidating propaganda, such as how terrible life will be outside the EU and that we 'can no longer cope' as an independent country. People, unfortunately, are easy prey to fear tactics and they also fear change. They would rather the devil they know than the angel they don't and that is one of the things that creates huge hurdles.
Mark-Swindon, you seem to think that the UK is now a battered old sow that needs crutches; that is what the politicians qant people to believe, so that they will happily throw in their lot with the EU and meekly submit to control.
Those of us who have seen through the lies can also see many of things that need to be done, but when people believe there is no hope - then negativity embraces everything. It must be fought off.
CD - Wilts
Its nothing to do with fear or no hope, its to do with education. Some people in the UK do not understand the dealings of the EU, they do not take a second language and they hardly integrate with European culture the way 'continentals' do.
What are you so scared of? I am for a referendum 'in-out' anyway, to finally end all this rubbish so we can move on and have a clear plan. Re-negotiation is not an option, we are already out of the monetary union, justice and home affairs, fundamental rights and Schengen. How much further will this go until the rest of the EU stops and says enough is enough?
But hear this: there has been rapid change around the world and the UK will not stand as a great power alone against the rise of the eastern economies. The EU can't even negotiate a trade agreement with China, so how do you think the UK will fair alone negotiating one? We produce... nothing. So 'CD- Wilts' lets stop writing a novel and talk about the real issues facing our island for the future and not descriptions of the UK and how this negative view needs to be fought off - "with all our might" I suppose?
Mark - Swindon
Mark - Swindon, of course we can renegotiate. We just decide to leave and then negotiate as per Norway of Switzerland. Don't forget its a two way street - BWM, Mercedes, Bosch, Siemens etc. do a huge amount of business in the UK and will not want to give that up. Education as everything and nothing to do with it. If I had to learn a language many years ago I would, I dare say, have learnt French or German. How good would that have been to me today?
I have never had the urge to work in either, fully believing that if you can't make it here then you will probably struggle elsewhere. If I had school age children today, I would ask them to consider Portuguese (Brazil), Mandarin (China) Urdu etc. And you will get by in English everywhere.
You are of course right that we will never again be the world power that we were before WWII, but hey we can find a niche for ourselves in the world that we are comfortable with. A little bit of confidence and looking out to the world is all that is needed. That to me is a better option than becoming a region within the EU, where our voice will become the equivalent of whispering against thunder.
Willy Waucht - Ayrshire
