Politically Correct by Roy Hopwood

There are numerous reasons to leave the EU but the most important is sovereignty.

We love holidays in Europe, its history and culture. What we don’t want is to be governed by an overbearing EU supranational state.

Before 1973 Britain was a successful self-governing independent and proud nation. For 43 years, a mere blip on our history, we have been governed by the EU that has one agenda, ever closer European union. It is a political project. Other nations govern themselves so why not Britain?

Hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth troops died in two world wars protecting British sovereignty, freedom and independence yet within 30 years of 1945 the British government had mercilessly betrayed them. About 70 per cent of our laws are made by the unelected and unaccountable EU Commission.

In the EU Council Britain has eight per cent of the vote and in the Parliament all British MEPs have 10 per cent. Britain will always be outvoted.

There are fundamental and irreconcilable differences between Britain and Europe. In Britain the state is the servant of the individual. In Europe the individual is the servant of the state. In Britain all people are free to do what is not forbidden by the law. In Europe no person is free to do anything unless permitted by the law.

Europe has adopted the Napoleonic Corpus Juris legal code that assumes guilt, does not allow juries and does not have the right of Habeas Corpus to appear before a court of law within 48 hours of arrest.

British citizens, some innocent, deported under European arrest warrants have then been held in European prisons for very long periods without trial.

The choices in this referendum are clear: a vote either for an independent self-governing United Kingdom controlling its own destiny and laws or to be permanently governed by an overbearing EU. This is your one and only chance to decide what sort of country you want to live in.

Fighting ‘fear’ over leaving

Fear over the economy and security drives the Prime Minister’s campaign to keep Britain in the EU.

The facts give a totally different picture.

In 1980 the current 28 nations of the EU had 30 per cent of world Gross Domestic Product.

The IMF forecasts this will fall to 15.5 per cent by 2020. Tying Britain into a fast declining market is full of risk even assuming the euro survives.

Thirty eight per cent of British exports are to the EU.

The remain campaign overstate this by failing to adjust for exports to the rest of the world through Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Britain has a trade deficit with the EU and a trade surplus with the rest of the world. Britain is the EU’s largest market.

Over 100 countries have trade agreements with the EU. Outside the EU Britain will receive a free trade agreement and be able to make trade agreements with non-EU countries that suit our needs, not those of other EU countries.

The EU does not have a security competence. We will still be part of NATO and Interpol outside the EU.

Seven terrorist attacks were foiled in 2015 thanks to our security services.

Britain also has the unrivalled GCHQ, never mind James Bond! We will be able to control our own borders and better able to prevent terrorists entering Britain through EU countries.

The Prime Minister supports Turkey, with a population of 77 million (99 per cent Moslem), joining the EU that will vastly increase immigration from the current annual net immigration of 330,000.

Inside or outside the EU we will continue to share information with our allies on a bilateral basis and NATO will be a basis of our defence.

Money could go to services

The National Debt is a mind-boggling £1.5 trillion and the public sector deficit was £8.2bn in October 2015.

Public Services are struggling from cutbacks and underfunding yet the Chancellor pays £20bn gross (£55m a day) to the EU annually, the second highest in the EU. Britain has also paid the EU a £1.7bn surcharge and massive fines including £642m for poor accounting on an EU-designed agricultural scheme.

The EU’s accounts have not been passed by the auditors for 20 years and they lose as much as £4bn a year in fraud. Outside the EU each household will be £933 per year better off.

The Common Agricultural Policy increases food prices by 17 per cent. Electricity prices from 2006 to 2013 rose by 43 per cent in the EU and 17 per cent in the USA due in part to EU renewable energy targets. Abolishing EU import tariffs of 12 per cent to protect southern European clothing manufacturers would save shoppers an average of £146 per year.