Let us revisit the time of the Referendum to see what has changed in the meanwhile.
- David Cameron has spent two years visiting all EU members on multiple occasions to try and persuade them to bring the EU’s rules and regulations into the 21st century. He failed to obtain any significant progress. He therefore reported to the House of Commons. The House decided that a referendum should be held to to enable the electorate to vote for remaining in or leaving the EU. The House of Commons was aware that the electorate had little technical knowledge of the EU but that most of the electorate would have a view as to whether our future should be to remain in the EU or outside the EU.
The electorate by a small margin decided that the country should leave the EU.
- The majority of the electorate and both houses parliament accepted the ref referendum result. Unfortunately, the unpatriotic few, have continually tried to resist the will of the electorate. The EU have been encouraged by their activities to believe that there is a chance that the UK could change its mind and remain in the EU.
As a result, the EU has failed to negotiate reasonably with the UK because they still hope that they can persuade the UK to remain. They know that it is in their interests that the UK should remain in the EU.
- In the first referendum, when the UK voted to join the EU the electorate were informed that by joining the EU the UK would receive significant commercial benefits. However, the electorate was not informed that France and Germany had made a secret agreement that they intended that the EU would in due course become the United States of Europe which they intended to control.
In the event by leaving EFTA and joining the EU, The UK discovered through the Maastricht treaty and the Lisbon treaty that the EU was a political organisation which would restrict its International trade and the EU would be dominated by the French legal system.
- Before the UK joined the EU, Germany in particular but with French support developed the structure of the EU its laws and its initial trading regulations. When the UK joined the EU it was largely a trading group of countries. Due to its expansion the UK now has less political power because it is but one of many countries which vote on European Commission proposals. Likewise in the European Parliament the UK has relatively less representation due to its expanded membership. Germany and France have worked together to place their nationals in senior places in EU institutions and by working together the dominate the EU.
- The UK after joining the EU most probably at the time of the Maastricht treaty that the EU had plans to create the United States of Europe. This was confirmed at the Treaty of Lisbon. John Major reluctantly signed the Maastricht treaty on behalf of the UK. As far as the Treaty of Lisbon is concerned Gordon Brown initially refused to sign the treaty with the other EU countries but in the evening when other EU members had left he sneaked into the building signed the treaty on behalf of the UK and immediately flew back to the UK.
- Currently the remaining members of EFTA are Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. They trade with the EU on very similar terms as we do now, but they do not subscribe to the EU and they are not subject to the EU’s future political unification. There are strong arguments that we should rejoin EFTA which would enable both sides to save face and enter into a deal which would be beneficial to both sides.
- When the UK joined the EU the cost of food increased immediately by about 20% due to the import restrictions and tariffs on food from the Commonwealth and other countries. It is agreed that the tariff/import restrictions have been reduces during the years but it will be to the UK’s benefit to be able to access food from the worldwide market.
- Further, due to the common fisheries policy our fisheries were invaded by European fishing boats and the availability of fish in the UK has declined over the last 40 years while the prices have increased. If the UK takes control of our fisheries again we can control be fishing and ensure that the stocks are replenished.
- As for the negotiations, there are indications that about 85% of the issues have been agreed or will be agreed shortly. The EU always carries issues through to the last moment before agreeing the outstanding issue/s. There is no certainty yet but it is likely that an agreement will be reached.