I offer below a speech similar to the one I made on Thursday night at the Cambridge Union. I spoke spontaneously and was not given enough time to say what I wanted. This recreation captures some of what I said then and adds a bit.
This House should not believe in a United States of Europe
It is good to see that some eight years after we had our great debate about whether to stay in the EU on its journey to ever closer union Cambridge wakes up to what the argument is all about
It would be quite a turn round for Remainers in the UK to believe in a United States of Europe.
They spent the last 50 years telling us the EU had no such plans.
It is just a single market they told us.
We will not lose more sovereignty they said .
Successive federalising Treaties were tidying up exercises. Nothing to see here
It is true I never believed them.
It was always clear to me the aim was a United States of Europe.
I could hear it in the speeches of many on the continent who were more honest about their direction.
I could read it in the Treaties themselves as they set out on their course of ever closer union.
We went from common market to single market
We went from European Economic Community to European Union
We went from the Treaty of Rome to the Treaty of European Union via Maastricht, Lisbon and Amsterdam.
The aim was always to create a United States of Europe
Many wanted to rival or outshine the United States of America
Today I can tell you there is still a gap between plan and reality.
I know both the USA and the EU fairly well.
I have travelled and worked in both.
I can assure you that for all its federalising and centralising
The EU is no United States of Europe in the way the USA is the United States of America.
Let us look at some of the differences
The USA has a powerful President elected by the voters of the whole nation
The EU has five Presidents jostling for authority. Not one of them is elected by a pan European electorate.
If any government in the world wants to talk to the USA, they ring the President in the White House.
Who are they meant to ring if they want to talk to the European Union?
If the USA wishes to meet a foreign country at senior level the President meets the Head of the other state.
If the EU wants to meet they often send a couple of their Presidents who argue over who is senior
The USA backs its foreign policy with the world’s most powerful army, navy and airforce.
The EU’s small forces cluster under the NATO umbrella and rely on US protection
The EU says it promotes peace
So what went wrong with its interventions in the Balkans?
How is it promoting peace in Ukraine?
The EU claims to be democratic
In Poland the new government is busy locking up Ministers from the government of 2007 despite a Presidential pardon
Germany has put the AFD Opposition under surveillance
The EU backed Spain in sending Catalan nationalist politicians to prison
The EU seems happy with stopping critics of its scheme from standing for election
The European Parliament has no organised Opposition saying the EU’s policies are wrong and offering an alternative
The EU says it promotes free trade
Yet it is slow to reach agreements with other countries
And quick to impose protections at home
The EU’s idea of a single market is
Laws telling everyone what they can make and how they can make them
No wonder innovation withers
All they needed was the simple rule that if you sold a product in your home country
Then you could also offer it for sale in any member state
The EU claims to foster a digital revolution
So how come all the world’s main technology companies are in China and the USA?
The EU claims to be good for growth
So how is it that the fifteen largest quoted companies in the world are all American – yes 15
How come the USA has outgrown the EU so much in recent years?
US GDP has now hit $80,000 a head
That almost double the EU’s $41,000
Time to ask who has the better model for growth?
Where the USA gives us great digital innovations and services
The EU taxes and fines US companies for daring to supply what the public and business want
The USA creates an exciting 21st century of opportunity and investment
The EU is stuck in the last century worrying that innovation brings threats
The EU wants many to buy battery cars
Pity they will largely be imported as China corners production of batteries
The EU poses as kind to migrants and asylum seekers
Yet it and its member states have been in recent years busy building more border wall and fence than Donald Trump
The EU promotes trans European networks.
All the time we were in the EU no trans European train turned up at Wokingham station
Whilst HS 2 was ground down by cost overruns and extreme delays
The EU’s energy policy has left it short of energy and facing high bills
Germany’s bad decision to close all her nuclear stations did not help
The worse decision to build pipelines to make themselves dependent on Russian gas followed
The EU has a great idea to put in more solar and wind energy
Such a pity China will supply much of the kit
Meanwhile the EU has not worked out how to store renewable power when plentiful
Or how to use electricity in planes and trucks
The USA under Biden as well as Trump carries on drilling for more oil and gas
So they can send gas to Europe to keep the lights on
The EU’s farming policy became so hostile to producing food
That a Dutch government fell because of it
The EU fishing policy is great at allowing supertrawlers to hoover up far too much fish
Damaging fishing grounds and sea bed
The Euro is the jewel in the federal crown
The chosen means to complete the Union
It has been a currency in search of a country to love it
Now the EU is making progress with the common budget, common taxes and common borrowing a USE needs
The Germans agreed to the Euro on grounds that it would take a tough anti inflation stance
They wanted no return to currency printing and debasement that so damaged Germany 100 years ago
In recent years the ECB did turn to money printing and ended up with high inflation
Germany agreed to monetary union on the basis that all states would need to keep their debts and deficits down.
Those rules are now suspended and most countries are way over the borrowing limits
One of the main constraints on fast progress to complete the United States of Europe is the huge costs it will impose
The EU itself is trying to overcome the cash shortage by its own huge borrowing spree
It aims to add a short trillion euros to EU debts
Which will fall to be guaranteed by the member states
The EU is a long way off commanding the mighty resources of the USA
The Euro is still no match for the dollar
As the EU worries about its defence and security, worries about its long and exposed borders, worries about its cash need, worries about where to find extra tax revenue from highly taxed people the US storms ahead with the digital revolution
I warn you
Do not be a small business in the EU – they will regulate and tax you too much
Do not be an entrepreneur in the EU – they will make innovation difficult and impose high taxes
Do not be a believer in freedom in the EU as they have a law for everything
Do not believe the emerging United States of Europe will outshine the USA
History tells us the attempts at European unions fail
The Holy Roman Empire broke up
The Scandinavian union broke up
The USSR broke up
To say nothing of the forced unions some European countries sought to impose on others that caused so much harm and loss of life
So EU
You do want to be the USE
But you are nothing like the USA
Why would anyone believe in this lopsided underfunded over regulated legal structure?
That is no new successful country
It is the comfortable well paid redoubt of an elite that is fast losing it with many voters.
Yours sincerely
February 24, 2024
Good morning.
Correct ! That is because one was born out of the need to be FREE and the other (EU) was created by Civil Serpents / Beauracrates (Jean Monnet & Sir Arthur Salter) with their desire to be free from medalilling from politicians and the people (democracy).
Oddly enough though, I am in favour of a United States of Europe. I just think that the UK should not be a member of it.
February 24, 2024
Indeed but a “United States of Europe” is doing huge harm to the EU members. It depends on what sort of EU you have a top down we bureaucrats know best, fraudulent, crony capitalist anti-democratic disaster or voluntary cooperation when sensible.
Cambridge Union debates are usually available on YouTube but this one is not up yet it seems. Lots of good older contributions with JR “Socialism Does not Work”, “the EU project has been a failure” …
February 24, 2024
Three good pieces in the Telegraph today.
Liz Truss is right: wokeonomics is destroying the West
MATTHEW LYNN
You’d have to be a fool to hire anyone to work for you in Britain today
Isabel Oakeshott
ISABEL OAKESHOTT (or indeed to rent a house or flat to anyone)
Parliament has taken the knee to the Islamists who rule by fear
Charles Moore
MATTHEW LYNN
You’d have to be a fool to hire anyone to work for you in Britain today
Isabel Oakeshott
ISABEL OAKESHOTT
Parliament has taken the knee to the Islamists who rule by fear
February 24, 2024
Excellently articulated on the foot JR.
So why is JRs party determined to act against the public mandate to leave the EU and still currently tying UK to act in Lockstep to EU? Recently Sunak implemented ECJ rulings through EU law into UK Equality legislation! Sunak scrapped the EU laws bill to scrap 4,000 laws instead he chose to implement more EU law into domestic law.
Sunak signed up to EU Horizon project to promote EU interests at a £2.4 billion cost each year where the EU might award some of our money back.
Sunak’s EU Windsor sell out agreement forces UK to act in lock step to EU, places a border down Irish Sea, forces UK to check goods from one part of our country to another! ECJ also applies. Sunak stated he will not compete with EU neighbours, high taxation to ensure UK not competitive against EU, same for energy, employment laws and environment.
Sunak refuses to leave ECHR which effectively means UK law and policy subject to a foreign court without a say whatsoever.
Sunak allows EU to daily dump foreigners on across the English Channel and no French trawler has helped any of these people to safety back to France. France have not put out bouts or other means to stop boats leaving their waters near their shores. Cleverly again happy to give away our money to France for nothing in return.
JR, very articulate and accurate speech but has no bearing on your party or Govt. Sunak has load the cabinet et with remainers to make sure no loud opposition voices to act align and act in lock step and under governance of EU. Starmer is more open about his intentions, your govt was elected with 85 seat majority to leave EU in its entirety. May betrayed the nation and your party took no action against her! Her one (EU) nation grouping flourish in in your party against everything we gave your party, including leant votes, to leave the EU.
February 24, 2024
+1
February 24, 2024
LL,
The old ‘ so and so is surely right in today’s Telegraph’ post.
But it’s a big one and today it gets priority over STEM subjects, PPE and the bloke you always quote who holds forth on COVID matters.
February 25, 2024
I do hope the Telegraph points out who’s been running the country these last fourteen years while all these terrible things have been happening
February 24, 2024
Meanwhile Gauke is at it again in ‘The New Statesman ‘:-
“On behalf of others, I approached the Lib Dems and offered a deal. If they would give former Tory MPs a clear run in ten to 15 seats, we would endorse them in the other 600-plus seats and agree to cooperate closely with them if elected. This, I argued, would demonstrate that the Tory party had properly split, and that moderate Conservatives should vote elsewhere.”
Lib Dems were not interested. They feared a Yellow Tory label.
But no matter. Gauke sees opportunity with Labour in power but under siege. He wants Lib Dems to be a replacement Tory party. He totally dismisses any chances for the right wing.
No change there – but surprisingly he still gets lots of coverage.
February 24, 2024
Correct, as Churchill said always choose the sea. Europe is made up of many factional and the likes of France will be under Islamic law within a few years.
Germany will eventually tire of subsidising the southern stated and eventually the whole kibosh will fall apart. I think Net Zero will be on of the main drivers of disintegration.
February 24, 2024
Choose the sea indeed. Alas we do not even seem to be able to build or run any aircraft carriers, manage our borders at Dover or fire working missiles from Submarines. Not even a sensible energy policy.
Listening to the rather pointless experiments on this new moon project one cannot help wonder why on earth they wasted their money?
February 24, 2024
I think what Ian might mean is that the sea should be our country’s strength whereas remainer Sunak is lost at sea with every policy or narrative he creates. Undoubtedly very good at managing and accounting for paper clips. He is no leader and an actively betrays the public mandate to leave the EU. He is actively aligning UK to EU by stealth hoping we will not notice. Sunak has even betrayed his I will serve with integrity narrative, he failed to implement 2019 manifesto he was elected on, failed his new five pledges he asked us to judge him on after a year, failed to leave the EU in every regard. The self declare son-in-law of India content to further India’s interests over UK by his net stupid policy transferring manufacturing, jobs to India and in return increase visas for Indians to come here, against Braverman’s advice. He also betrayed his agreement with her as he betrayed Johnson.
Why would any reasonably intelligent person vote for such a person? A vote for Sunak is a vote for Economic suicide.
February 24, 2024
Successive PMs steering the ship have gone into tight circles and are in danger of keeling over and sinking.
February 24, 2024
Well Sunak was not very good at accounting for covid loans, furlough, the vast PPE waste/coruption, the net harm vaccines costs and as chancellor his QE lunacy and lockdown took inflation from 1% to 12%. Also he still claims that the Covid Vaccines are safe and effective, so he clearly either cannot read the stats, has not bothered to look or is just deliberately lying.
February 24, 2024
Germany’s latest economic outlook is horrible; their saviour was meant to be cheap gas from Putin, now they’re in a mess.
What this means is that by far the largest net contributor to EU spending will want to rein in. Where will the EU look for money? They’ll start looking to fine us for any dreamt up infraction.
Cancel the May/Johnson fiasco deal.
February 24, 2024
I would liken the ‘cheap gas’ arrangement to rather like accepting a house rental on the basis the landlord can evict you with 1 week’s notice, or even 1 Day!
February 24, 2024
The UK will be under Islamic law first. Already we have police ignoring demonstrations with clearly illegal messages and at least one judge who lets off people supporting Hamas, an illegal organisation. We keep giving way by making special laws on things things like Halal slaughter, which if carried out by non Islamists would result in prison. Still they ask for more and more special treatment under the threat of violence and the authorities are running scared.
February 24, 2024
I’m glad you’ve said that about animal slaughter Graham, I thought it was illegal in this country to not stun before slaughter. It is! I’ve just found this on RSPCA web site, “ The UK law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter, rendering them unconscious, so they don’t feel pain or experience suffering and distress during the slaughter process. However, there is an exemption from this requirement that permits non-stun slaughter for religious purposes.”
Either it’s law in this country or it’s not, you can’t have both!
February 25, 2024
Yes Sharon, thanks for that. Appeasement of religion should itself be illegal, but then it seems these days laws are made and people, notably the police decide which laws are laws and which can be jettisoned in the hope of preventing violence, the threat of which is rife now from religious minorities and is in itself illegal but nothing will be done until we are under another heel.
February 24, 2024
When Churchill said that,the UK had an overseas empire,a large commercial fleet,a sizeable,capable navy and control of ports and trading stations around the world.None of that applies today-indeed,we don’t even own a number of our own key ports!
It’s the likes of Dubai/UAE which are building a global logistical network (through DP World) and,going hand-in-hand with that,developing as a major financial centre.UAE has recently joined BRICS and,furthermore, is heavily involved in opening up new trade routes,notably the Arctic Northern Sea Route,as a preferred partner of Russia.
February 24, 2024
not quite the way I would have put it – ‘born out of the need to be FREE for any religious pursuit without oppression’ might be more truthful?
February 24, 2024
You will never stop banging on about Europe, will you? You are obsessed with it. Have you sought medical help?
Reply Complain to the Cambridge Union who chose the subject. Why are you so hostile to any discussion of our neighbours policies?
February 24, 2024
Found the cliff edge yet? The British people chose not to follow the lemmings.
February 24, 2024
Donna,
Unfortunately the Uni party is ignoring the mandate from the public to leave the EU: Parliament has gone rogue.
MSM and public should be alarmed at Labours request for debate in private over Gaza. etc
Reply The motion to meet in private was moved by Conservatives to ensure the Labour amendment was not put early before the 7 pm deadline.It was designed to take up time, with the intention of most voting No as we did. That is what happened but the Deputy Speaker then put the Labour amendment after the deadline against normal practice. It was an attempt to get the House to follow Standing Orders on the votes.
February 24, 2024
Gee!
How incredibly rude.
Certain I’d get deleted for less.
February 24, 2024
Wrong again, Lemming !
Why do you even bother posting here ?
I guess it’s because the Guardian no longer allows their readers to comment !
February 24, 2024
I am hostile to anything EU, It has been sly in it war against Great Britain as it knows it can never ever be equal to us!
It must be destroyed – they are not friends,
Bring Ulster back into our family and tear up all agreements with the enemy
February 24, 2024
You sound like Powell, Ridley, McWhirter, Shore. I can’t be more complimentary.
These are the sounds of home. But concise. Each sentence a bullet that pierces the fabric of a nightmare.
Will John Redwood be the PM we needed most and of whom we deprived ourselves because the Continental poison still runs in the veins of British Democracy and the People believe it impertinent for THEM to choose the candidates to put to the electorate?
February 24, 2024
Indeed.
JR asks “ US GDP has now hit $80,000 a head
That almost double the EU’s $41,000
Time to ask who has the better model for growth?”
No much doubt here is there? Energy at 1/3 of the cost is a huge help. This despite the dreadful numbers of gun deaths, their absurdly damaging litigation system & culture (far too many largely parasitic lawyers per head) and absurdly expensive healthcare system. If they sorted these issues out they might hit more like three times EU GDP levels. Tax levels, red tape and government interference in the US are also too high but nothing like as bad as in the EU and UK.
February 24, 2024
LL,
Sunak declared he will not compete with his EU neighbours. Sunak forcing UK to act in lockstep to EU- energy, environment, employment, equality, ECJ ,ECHR. What part don’t you get?
Corporation tax raised to 25% was to declare solidarity with EU, no one would increase it if they wanted growth and reduce debt etc. Energy inter dependence increased with EU and linked to our fishing waters so UK cannot divert in 2026, energy costs central to businesses and consumers, again what part do you not understand? Implementing Equality ECJ rulings through EU law into EU legislation, when he and JRs party promised to scrap 4,000 EU laws repeatedly promised to be elected. Sunak betraying public mandate to leave EU, he has low standards of integrity or he is not as intelligent as claimed by his party.
Sunak on record and form is unelectable. Ditto for Hint, ditto for Cameron, ditto for the remainers loaded in Sunak’s cabinet.
February 24, 2024
You do realise that debt in the USA currently stands at over $34 trillion. That’s over $102k for every person in the USA. As Jim Callaghan said YOU CAN’T SPEND YOUR WAY OUT OF A RECESSION. Just watch the USA debt clock for a few minutes and be very alarmed https://www.pgpf.org/national-debt-clock. DEBT-TO-GDP RATIO is around 123%. Their debt has more than doubled in the last 14 years. Do you really want us to follow this model?
Yes, they have cheap oil and lower taxes and we could do the same but the Net Zero zealots won’t let us. We could also ditch EU regulations but Sunak seems to want to keep us tied to them. I’ve always lived within my means and put my family first. Sunak would be wise to put the British people first rather than throw our money at pointless foreign conflicts. He is either incapable of seeing how to win over British voters or he is a traitor of the highest order. Either way, the only saviour for the Tory party is a proper right-of-center leader, not one of the WEF puppets waiting in the wings.
February 24, 2024
Reform’s draft Contract with the people for the General Election includes a commitment to keep away from the WEF. Another good policy from the nearest thing to a conservative party we have.
February 24, 2024
‘USA debt doubled in 14 years’ – ours has trebled over the same time frame. A lot of our problems stem from the price of electricity, I’ve argued here before that it should not be tied to gas, it’s insane and increases our prices exponentially but of course it does suit the electricity companies, the Tories mates with excess profits – British Gas returns this year – 10 times up in profit. They are also going to load us up with the losses by people unable to pay their unnecessarily high bills. They like it this way is the only interpretation I can put on it. It is easily resolved, but they don’t want to, they want us poor for some reason.
February 24, 2024
He is wonderful.
But he has his limits as to what can be discussed.
If he became PM ( Oh glorious day!) hopefully the first thing he would do would be to restore free speech. Next a fabulous bonfire of red tape and Quangos.
So we could discuss EVERYTHING openly. Without fear of reprisal.
February 24, 2024
methinks you seriously misjudge the forces to be pitched against our host!
February 24, 2024
Oh I don’t think so.
Whatever those forces they will have an Achilles heel.
February 24, 2024
This is so true. The British people would have to hold strong against the brutal assault that would be thrown at any leader trying to deviate from the WEF agenda. Just look at how quickly they brought Truss down.
February 24, 2024
Yes.
But think/compare intellect.
Someone, somewhere somehow will have to have a proper go.
It is existential now.
Probably for humanity?
February 25, 2024
Agree – why didn’t the tory MPs support Liz, the members choice …where was there loyalty to the members
February 24, 2024
L.A., ++++ excellent comments, well worthy of the brilliance which they extol
February 24, 2024
Not quite!Powell believed we should cut the cord with the USA(which he considered a hostile power) and develop relations with Russia to contain an agglomerating Europe.But,by that stage, the UK had already begun it’s journey towards Puerto Rico-on-Thames status.
I doubt he was on the CIA’s Christmas card list.
February 24, 2024
That was the best rebuttal of the EU I have ever read. I have book marked it.
Interesting to note that the Supreme Court in the US has recently gone down the road of asserting that individual states should be allowed to chose their own laws. In response to Federalisation by Democrats. As long as the states laws don’t impinge on other states. They are basically saying if you want a certain politic then move to that state. For example abortion, guns, schooling, tax or covid mandate rules.
February 24, 2024
Javelin, ++++ I wholly endorse your stand alone first line.
Your following paragraph is most interesting too with its implications for freedom of choice and comparison of economic and cultural models within the cohesive (we hope) national borders. Thank you.
February 24, 2024
From 2010 through 2022 about 8.5 million people moved from California to other states. This is what Woke, net zero, and high taxes do.
February 24, 2024
Well said Sir John.
Just one problem though – we may have left, but we’re still in lock-step with the EU.
February 24, 2024
Indeed and Sunak has mad this worse. Starmer will take us back in all but name.
February 24, 2024
Sunak is merely warming the batting up to pass to Starmer.
February 24, 2024
Javlin,
Exactly. They are the EU Uni Party. The EU a globalist construct for the anlleged world order irrespective what the masses want. The public voted leave but the Uni Party determined to undermine any such prospect by acting in lockstep.
February 24, 2024
I believe that already they are signing us up to various “agreements”aka straight jackets.
February 24, 2024
The fundamental weakness of the EU is its democratic defecit. At no point does it consult with the people, let alone consult them on its path forward or upon who should be responsible for carrying it out.
The people of the EU are on a mystery tour over which they have no control, short of leaving. Dependents have no control of their destiny, just the outstreched hand of beggars. Punishment being the only offer for those of independant thought. Thanks to the duplicity of UK politicians and their civil service we still suffer thd hangover from our democratic decision to leave. Though beaten at the ballot box and proved wrong in their prediction, they plot amongst us like witches scorned.
February 24, 2024
@agricola: Actually, there have been EU citizens consultations for quite a few years, – I took part in some -, I trust there still are. To find out more, just type EU citizens’consultations in your browser.
February 24, 2024
That is the whole purpose of the EU, to ignore the people. See my comment above.
February 24, 2024
Starmer and Labour if elected into government will take the UK back into the EU and with the backing of some Tory MPs. The aim then is surely to destroy the character of Starmer and to portray him as a threat, which he most definitely is. He is the head of the progressive snake capable of real damage should he become PM. His history makes him an open goal of a target.
February 24, 2024
As Suella has pointed out, the foundations for a fundamental cultural and democracy destroying base have already been laid. We see the first signs of above ground activity on our streets. We are in need of a D8 and new architects with political vision. The people await leadership.
February 24, 2024
In a ludicrous development, Reform, the anti-net zero landlords party, has proposed a raft of unfunded tax cuts in a leaked draft manifesto. The document apparently calls for calls for marked reductions in stamp duty, inheritance tax and corporation tax, as well as tax relief to incentivise going private for education and health care – and raising the 40p income tax threshold to £70,000
If anybody wanted evidence of the complete economic incompetence of Richard Tice’s insane party – and it’s failure to learn the lessons of the Truss/Kwarteng “fiscal event” – this is it
February 24, 2024
Very silly to claim that such policies are wrong for an already tax maximised UK. Wait until they have been tried. I maintain that much lower tax and less dependence would result in much greater economic activity, which in turn would lead to a greater financial take for the Treeasury. At present the economy is an engine without oil stuck in first gear. Your Guardianista offer of this in continuity is an old guard commie path to perpetual failure. I prefer Laffer to no laughs.
February 24, 2024
‘No need to fret Sakara’ You know as well as I, ‘Reform’ will not make up the next government of the (dis)UK.
Whilst the Conservatives have blown it and many of their voters will head to ‘Reform’ in protest. Others will choose to support Labour.
We will then suffer five years of Starmer economics, guaranteed to destroy the economy. Labour always do.
Some of us may then wish we had voted for ‘Reform’
February 24, 2024
I’m wondering what is meant by an unfunded tax cut. What for that matter would be a “funded” tax cut? The government can surely only fund things by taxation. So a tax increase somewhere would be needed to fund a tax cut, making a “funded tax cut” a contradiction in terms overall. If that is so, we can only have unfunded tax cuts.
February 24, 2024
You’re worried about Reform, aren’t you? Good.
February 24, 2024
😁 Great!
February 24, 2024
If the British economy is to grow and eventually pay down the debt, we need (a) tax cuts (b) to cut the size of the State/public spending and (c) to ditch the ruinous Net Zero lunacy
They’ve got my vote.
February 24, 2024
SG
At least they are thinking in the right direction, stop all of the WOKE, Quango, Inefficient Civil Service waste, to pay for it.
February 24, 2024
✔️🤙🏻
February 24, 2024
Fools Gold …No mention of what idiotic funding we already make that would be cut? I hope hundreds of £bns will be saved with their proposals. Every party needs to have similar savings in mind, that is unless the desire is to destroy the economy…oh! perhaps thats the idea?
February 24, 2024
SG : “In a ludicrous development, Reform, the anti-net zero landlords party…..”
I have no wish to be taken backwards to impoverished feudal times with intermittent and unreliable medieval windmills and burning wood (Drax) for power and misogynistic, anti-science, anti-fredom medieval religions deciding our laws, what we should think and how to live using the nonsense that is “net zero” as an excuse.
CAGW does not exist, as shown by Happer & Wijngaarden whose calculations on the real atmosphere, including water vapour, unlike the IPCC models, show a negligible increase in GHG when atmospheric CO2 is doubled. Solving the equation of transfer, originally developed by astrophysicists to calculate the radiation loss from a star such as the sun, their results, the ultimate test of any scientific work or theory, match the observed data so impressively well they can even show, correctly, that atmospheric CO2 actually cools rather than warms above Antarctica. Go to the CO2 Coalition website or YouTube ‘CO2, The Gas of Life, William Happer’ for the details.
February 24, 2024
SG
I see nothing but common sense in those Reforms.
February 24, 2024
The EU is a bunch of unelected socialists wanting to build a socialist construct for them to control and pretend it’s a united entity.
For one thing, the long established cultures and languages of each country are too different for them to be properly united.
So, for the very long list of reasons you state, Europe could never be like the USA and shouldn’t be. The countries are too historically individual. The USA grew up to be as it is, that’s the difference.
I’m sure I read somewhere that the EU wanted to create a United States of Europe to compete with the USA. Unfortunately, their socialist views were always going to scupper that idea with all their protectionism etc. and so it has proved!
With the way it’s gone, they needed the word soviet somewhere in the name!
February 24, 2024
The EU antidemocratic structure is nothing like the USA one. Not that the USA one is without serious issues. But far better in general. I love Europe just hate the EU’s endless evil vandalism.
February 24, 2024
If only we could return to the countries’ being independent and living with their own cultures etc.
February 24, 2024
“Ever closer union between the PEOPLES of Europe” does NOT imply a ‘United States of Europe’. There was no attempt to recreate the likeness of the USA nor the UK with its 4 nations.
The hybrid construction and evolution of the EU puts a strong emphasis on interdependence.
Weird theoretical debates like apparently this Cambridge debate, I have never come across over here.
Just be happy in your eccentric sovereignty, we wish you well, but we have moved on.
Reply What nonsense. Parliament, foreign policy, one currency, one economic policy . This is a state in the making.
February 24, 2024
P.S. For those who are interested (not too likely in this bubble), I’m sure there are universities giving MOOC courses on all the democratic procedures for decision making in the EU.
Reply Try answering criticism based on the reality. No directly elected President. y whole demos. No Official Opposition in the Parliament to oppose the Commission legislative programme etc
February 24, 2024
Reply to reply:
If I must, ok then, for once:
* Elections.
There is no directly elected prime-minister in the UK either, also no elected ministers there, only elected MPs elected as MPs. Similar in the EU: E.g. Before Frans Timmermans was proposed by the democratic Dutch government to become an EU commissioner, between a hundred thousand and a million citizens had already elected him into our parliament. He did pass his exam before the 700+ MEPs and got voted in.
* Demos.
I have life experience of how much the Scottish hate the English and the (Northern) Irish hate the English, hardly a single demos. The Swiss have 4 cultures and 4 languages within their 1 country.
* Official Opposition.
That is a weird British relic of a weird FPTP “democracy”. We don’t have an Official Opposition in the Netherlands and I consider us a much better democracy than Britain (slightly biassed, I know 🙂 ) In our country it couldn’t happen that a party which gains 12.6% in the general elections gets to sit with 1 MP in a 650 seat parliament. Democracy??? (We also don’t have an unelected House of Lords).
If your mindset somehow is stuck to “democracy is what is like Britain” I really cannot help you. That is why I recommend MOOC courses. A theoretical base can be really helpful in understanding the reality on the ground. I haven’t yet met a Briton who really really understands the EU.
Reply When I was the UK Single Market Minister I saw how undemocratic the legislative system us. As an elected MP/ Minister from a democratic government I was not allowed to table amendments or new laws. Only the unelected Commission could do that!
February 24, 2024
Reply to reply: Once again, the Commission is as unelected as the UK government, but why should I repeat that adjective every time I write the term ‘UK government’? I’d be the last in suggesting that EU democratic procedures are perfect. The EU is more complex and still evolving so its procedures are more complex and evolving. Slowly but surely the EU council (27 heads of democracies) is becoming the dominating power in EU decision making.
Reply The UK government is chosen by people voting for candidates of parties that can form a government around a stated manifesto. The EU Commissioners are not elected and make up a programme after EU Parliamentary elections.
February 24, 2024
reply to reply ..’.can form ..a stated manifesto’ !! If only they would.
February 24, 2024
Reply to reply: only MPs are elected and they are only elected as MPs to manage their constituencies. So NO elected UK government.The poor British people have no idea whom their ministers will be! Those living in the majority of “safe seats” even have 0 influence with there vote in case they don’t vote for the incumbent. Funny democracy.
The EU commissioners base their program on the guidelines of the Eurocouncil (27 governments), the gradual implementation of the Treaties and the wishes of the European Parliament. You can already see that happening now (concessions to farmers at the cost of the Green Deal, stricter programs concerning migration (preparing for a right wing shift at the European elections) etc.
Reply At a General election it is quite clear who will be PM, Chancellor, Home Sec etc from the party teams presented.
February 25, 2024
Your comments are grossly inaccurate. The PM of UK is always directly elected and has been for centuries. The PM is the leader of the majority party in parliament which is the one with the most MPs, all of whom, including the leader are directly elected.
The EU council resolves disputes between the Commission, which is wholly unelected and has sole power to initiate and amend legislation, and the EU Parliament, which unlike the British parliament is not sovereign and can do no more than propose amendments to the Commission’s legislation. It cannot require the Commission to amend its legislation and neither can the EU Parliament reject Commission legislation outright, ie defeat it. And in the EU Council, the Commission has a seat but the Parliament does not. Furthermore, the Council is comprised of the heads of the executives of member states so it provides a bypass mechanism to enable executives to bypass their own parliaments whn those parliaments oppose what they want to do. Going through the EU they can compel tbeir parliaments to comply because EU law has primacy over national law.
If you really believe that ever closer union does not mean ultimately a single state, a Federal State of Europe, as it is often called in EU debates, you really have no idea of the European Project and its aims and modus operandi, proceeding incrementally by stealth and deceit.
It is not worth my going through all of your other errors. Remainers’ minds are closed, they have their own truth, so it would be a waste of time.
February 25, 2024
Flat wrong, John Redwood. The President of the Commission is elected by the European Parliament, the voice of the people, and the Commisison itself has to be approved by the Eurpoean Parliament, the voice of the people. It’s astounding how when you Brexiters try to and explain why you don’t like the EU, it turns out you don’t have the first idea how it works
Reply The commissioners aren’t MEPs and have not been elected by the voters, yet they have ministerial power. Touchy, arent you?
February 24, 2024
PvL :
“Demos.
I have life experience of how much the Scottish hate the English and the (Northern) Irish hate the English, hardly a single demos.”
Do all the Northern Irish hate the English?
Anyway, interestingly the only European I have come across who does not hate the English lived in Krumpendorf near Klagenfurt am Worthersee in Austria. This was because the English saved them from becoming part of Yugoslavia at the end of WW2.
February 24, 2024
Mr Van Leeuwen first needs to get his facts RIGHT. The loyalist people of N Ireland do not “hate” England- that is the republican traitors of the IRA and followers who are not forced to stay in Great Britain!
February 25, 2024
Sadly Peter, the only democratic system Mr Redwood recognises is one that looks exactly like the UK. This kind of ill-informed unimaginative parochialism lies at the heart of Brexit
February 24, 2024
Many Europeans will disagree with you. There is no determined destination.
Read the Treaties and what the Commission plans.
February 24, 2024
PvL . I had 5 business locations in Europe ( Brussels , Amsterdam , Paris , Frankfurt and Lausanne; my headquarters were in London ) ; they were originally established as a hub to deal with what was then the new European Union . My management consultancy operation operated on behalf of a wide range of international companies all of which wished to exploit the so-called new opportunity of the European Union . British and American clients predominated during the 10 years it existed and subsidiary bases were created for them in Europe on their behalf during this time . Resistance and difficulties persisted continually to such an extent many of my clients decided to eventually pull out . I then decided to close my offices in Europe ( except Lausanne ) and re-create a new consultancy network in Chicago , New York , Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo ; my headquarters remained in London . It continued profitably until my retirement in 1988 . In my book the so-called European Union had failed but other International operations did not .
Reply Indeed. I remember trying to do business in the EEC when I ran a global business. Very difficult compared to US, Australia, Malaysia etc where we had good businesses.
February 24, 2024
reply to reply:
The treaties can not specify everything: For instance, the Treaties left health issues like vaccinations a national competence. But when the pandemic broke out, there was a public outcry that the EU Commission should take a coordinating role. In the end it led to a large EU fund which saw solidarity between the various EU members increase. The British “solidarity” is expressed as: “hurray, we are not liable to this new fund!” Next to Britain having proven to be unreliable in international treaties (think David Frost and N. Ireland) the continental countries know and remember all this.
Reply What a bad example for you. The UK got an early vaccine and the EU had to import.
February 24, 2024
reply to reply: while the Dutch had a far better survival rate than the British.
February 25, 2024
Your survival rate argument is flawed, Peter. The ‘Covid deaths’ criteria were different in the two countries. In the UK doctors could put Covid on the death certificate if they suspected Covid was involved in the decease, without seeing a positive test result. ‘Since 24 April [2020] figures are also published for instances where COVID-19 is referenced on the death certificate, but no positive COVID-19 test result was received.’ Please see:
https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/blog/the-challenges-of-counting-covid-deaths/
In the Netherlands, I understand a positive test result was always required.
February 24, 2024
Reply …. and stitched up some countries with dodgy allocation.
February 24, 2024
@ John Redwood:
Both NATO and the EU have their strengths. Replacing one with the other makes no sence. Cooperation does.
February 24, 2024
Flags, anthems, foreign embassies, common currency, common economic policies Presidents?
Do you not listen to the speeches by the EU elite Peter?
It’s strange you seem unable to see the EU is morphing into the USE.
Do you dislike this obvious development?
Or do you fear it so much you are in denial?
February 25, 2024
Dear naive Peter Van Leeuwen. The EU is the guardian of the European Project. You really are so touchingly naive. I hope Father Christmas gave you all your heart’s desires this Christmas. the EU is already a federation in all but two respects: First, the Member States remain the `masters’ of the treaties, i.e., they have the exclusive power to amend or change the EU Treaties. Second, the EU lacks a real `tax and spend’ capacity, in other words, there is not yet fiscal federalism.
However the EU is working towards implementing these features. The only serious obstacle is France and Germany agreeing on how the power of tne supreme federal body is shared between them. At present the balance of power is that Germany dominates on economics and anything that affects economics, and France has the nuclear weapons and the associated permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The EU did several times try to take UK’s permanent seat and failed. Its importance is clearly recognised. Germany is now intent upon developing the most powerful forces in Europe and leading European defence, doublking its defence budget by 2030. It is leading the move to substitute QMV for unanimity in EU decision making in defence, security and foreign affairs. Since it has the lagest population itwill have the largest share of the vote. With VDL moving to NATO the EU’s takeover of the European side of NATO will be greatly facilitated.
It is not a quesion of whether the EU will become the Federal State of Europe but why would it not, what will stop it? The only question worth asking is what form it will take. Have you forgotten all the debates about that in the heady days of the Brexit negotiations when Mrs May was the UK’s PM?
February 24, 2024
Reply
The weird Cambridge debate not seen in the EU is a manifestation of democracy. It may be weird and I have no idea what its conclusions were but that is irrelevant. The importance is that they had the debate, no doubt expressing myriad views in the process. That is democracy at work, invented by the ancient greeks who now find themselves as dependants in a none democratic top down dictatorship. If you cannot see it talk to your own farming community and that of France and Germany. Not overlooking the governments of Poland , Hungary and Catalonia.
February 24, 2024
@agricola: You obviously have a point that debates are an ingredient in democratic processes.
Why then are there no debates over here like the one in Cambridge?
That is at least because there are more urgent discussions taking place in the Netherlands and in Europe: the little bit of sovereignty we sacrificed by becoming NATO members may not help us much if a Trump-USA decides to pull the plug out of NATO. Becoming prepared for that eventuality requires urgent debates.
It may require intensive international cooperation. If and what kind of role the EU might be called to fulfil, to support this preparation is unknown, but EU countries meet eachother very frequently and cooperation is increasing. (E.g. Poland, Germany and the Netherlands taking the lead in aligning their infrastructures for military transports)
Reply He will not pull the plug if you help pay the bills. What is your plan then to replace NATO for the EU?
February 24, 2024
EU budget 2024, Total commitments €189.39 bn, total payments €142.63 bn (consilium.europa.eu ‘Infographic: 2024 EU budget: Main areas’, 21/12/2023).
In other words that makes the EU superstructure equivalent to 1.5% of the sum of the budgets of the 27 countries. In yet other words that makes it equivalent to something between the budgets of Denmark and Austria.
Draw yourself the conclusions.
February 25, 2024
Ah, finally, someone who realises that the EU supranational component is minute.
It really depends on cooperation between te 27 countries. And therefore works on issues that the 27 together want the EU to work on.
February 25, 2024
You are both forgetting the huge amounts of money member states like Germany are having to pledge to support the Euro.
February 24, 2024
The nations of Europe used to have distinction with citizens maintaining their individual qualitity and good taste.
Now EU members are mixed up in an unhealthy one-flavour EU soup of sardines, lemon curd, blue cheese, khaki pepper, red wine, red cabbage and artificial additives.
Euuugh!
February 24, 2024
Bloke :
Agreed. I liked the idea that European countries had different tastes, cultures, practices, rules, regulations, governments and laws.
February 24, 2024
Bloke, OR, Sorry I’m just wondering: if you think that Oslo is equivalent to Madrid, or Portugal to Slovakia, might it be because you are the type of Basil Fawlty Brits who can only choose ‘hamburger’ from a restaurant menu?
February 25, 2024
Difference is the essence of existence. Without it there is nothing to distinguish; even whole countries. Equality for tomatoes risks eating rotten ones.
I do like Fawlty Towers, but haven’t touched a hamburger in 30 years. Perhaps restaurants that sell junk should be refused permission. I refuse them, but if nothing is bad, nothing better can exist.
Enduring pursuits for increased equality eventually destroys the variety of life and ability to choose.
February 25, 2024
Inevitably hefner resorts to insults.
February 24, 2024
The American States initially united by democratic means (if you ignore the fact that the indigenous peoples were systematically marginalised and then slaughtered when they dared fight back).
But even the USA resorted to forcing the then member States to remain united via undemocratic means and a civil war, which resulted in over 600,000 deaths.
The EU has no democratic legitimacy whatsoever. There is no European Demos – ergo there cannot be an EU Democracy. The EU has been created by bureaucrats and politicians who have National mandates. The structures of the EEC, were based upon the size and importance of the original Nation Members, particularly France and Germany.
The economic arguments Sir John makes are important to highlight the fact that the EU has failed in its attempt to build a USE through economic means. But it is the Sovereignty and Democratic argument against the project which is the most important.
Without Democracy, whatever they create will be just another forced union of the nations of Europe, which will eventually collapse through violence. And they cannot make a democratic EU because there is no European Demos.
February 24, 2024
There is this odd acceptance, especially from those that lean to the left, that it is inevitable that we should all fall under the same global governance.
It’s like a natural progression from savage to a Star Trek style civilisation in their minds.
What this ‘all are the same’ mentality wants is for no differences – wanting all to be of the same mind and living some orchestrated existence under a benign communist style super-government.
They forget though that Man was born with free will and a sense of himself. Why should we be restrained, trained and manipulated to accept corruption and bad regulations from those that cannot be held responsible?
We can already see how corrupt global organisations are, who seek more power and more rewards for deceiving us — Why would we want more of that!
February 24, 2024
Excellent, thanks John, but why were you only contacted at short notice, did someone else drop out, or was it lack of planning on the Universities part.
Reply I was invited ages ago. I was short of time to speak in the debate as they limited me
February 24, 2024
Limited time? Welcome to our world, where if you oppose planning applications and go to the meeting you will be limited to one person speaking for your side and two minutes only to make the case. Been there, done that, whilst the ‘authorities’ have as much time and input as they want. On the other hand if they should back you, the government will put in an ‘Inspector’ from far away who knows nothing about your area to overrule you and your council. Yours was just a speech, ours is about the standard of living of our local people.
February 24, 2024
Graham
Like you I have also spoken at planning debates, and been on both sides, Supporting some and opposing others, as you say limited time (used to be 3 minutes) but sadly, and to my certain knowledge, many of the Committee do even understand a simple planning drawing, on which they will vote.
I actually had a meeting with a Planning officer on site a few years ago, who could not understand the drawing (ar least she was honest) until I told her she had it upside down !
February 24, 2024
Doesn’t surprise me. I gave evidence at a Public Enquiry and the incompetence of the Planning Officer had to be seen to be believed. Our barrister came to me during the first morning of an enquiry due to last 3 days and said she could not carry on, the Council had given the thing away.
February 24, 2024
And in other news Sunak crowing about gas prices coming down. If this useless government had thought more about our energy security umpteen years ago instead of pretending renewables would take up the slack, we would have exploited our resources and generated tax revenues rather than spaffing our money abroad and creating more CO2 importing it.
February 24, 2024
NigL :
There is no intention to provide energy security as evidenced by the selection of expensive, unreliable chaotically intermittent renewables with no plans for storage because the cost is so enormous over either hydrocarbons or nuclear despite both being abundant, reliable and cheaper.
In addition, how can renewables possibly provide energy security when :
1) The basic infrastructure (wind turbines and solar panels) are supplied by a state described by our security services as “hostile”?
2) We will need to protect our major source of energy spread out over hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of the North Sea and other surrounding seas plus all the many thousands of kilometres of undersea cable either from offshore wind generators or from connections with mainland Europe? All susceptible to attack from cheap drones. Think how easily NordStream 2 was put out of action.
Far fewer nuclear plants would be easier to protect, and if SMRs are employed, because of their small size, they could even be built underground. Large nuclear plants are even built to withstand a falling arcraft.
February 24, 2024
When we see Putin and what he’s about then when we look across and see China’s antics in the Far East and then with that the threat of Trump possibly pulling the US out of NATO well then I think the Europeans have no choice but to set up their own defence in a United States of Europe or whatever it might be called – of course we don’t have to join
Reply The EU relies heavily on USA defence
February 24, 2024
Reply to reply.. The EU can build its own defence industries.. stupid to think they have to rely on the US.. we know the Americans blow with the wind and cannot be trusted – and neither can the British..
Reply So why havent they?
February 25, 2024
Reply to reply: As such the EU Commission cannot build a European Army, as defence is out of its remit. Only the European Council can encourage individual Member State Governments to cooperate on defence and security matters. That’s how PESCO was finally initiated in 2017 after the UK who had always been opposed to the idea of a European Defence, voted to leave the EU.
So to answer Sir John’s question: maybe the UK had been an impediment to such a project when it was part of the EU, preferring to be (as the usual formula has it) the ‘poodle of the USA’, preferring ‘Five Eyes’ and the like.
Reply The common foreign and security policy is an EU competence. The singke market powers gave been much used to build an EU defence industrial conformity.
February 24, 2024
The Americans are becoming less and less reliable in defence. When the going gets tough, the Americans give up. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, you name it, for all their might they have not won a war in two hundred years. They helped us in WW2, but only came in when they were attacked and sold us equipment which we have only recently paid off.
February 24, 2024
Perhaps they have not forgotten that it was Britain and France that supported the confederacy in the civil war,seeing a permanently divided America as in their interest.It was actually Tsarist Russia which sent fleets to both the west and east coasts of America to show support for the union.
February 24, 2024
That is not true. Britain remained neutral during the Civil War because it opposed slavery.
“In May 1861, the British government issued a Declaration of Neutrality to signify its official stance on the American Civil War. This Declaration recognized the Confederacy’s status as a belligerent faction, but not as a sovereign nation.”
February 26, 2024
Officially neutral.
February 24, 2024
That does not explain their incompetence in the wars they start and why they get their butts kicked by people with Kalashnikovs and not much else. I doubt they know much history. They are so insular I doubt most of them could point to their wars on a map.
February 24, 2024
and on that subject – would somebody remind Putin whose navy ferried food and other stuff at great danger and losses to help Russia defend against Hitler ?
February 25, 2024
which navy (not whose navy).
February 24, 2024
A very dangerous assumption that the USA ( and even the UK) will come rushing in with guns raised to defend a bunch of squabbling fools who claim they have avoided wars by trying to be considerate to each other!
I want a nuclear deterrent (that works) but don’t intend to see any more generations of my family die in foreign lands.
February 24, 2024
All good words …but maybe should’ve included net-zero imposed by the UN, EU & UK governments, and steel from china
February 24, 2024
Your criticisms, valid as they are, surely will be taken as proof by the Europhiles that what is needed is more Europe!
February 24, 2024
But but…we have left EU.
Why are you still so obsessed with it Sir?
And yes all Unions will end at some point or at least transform to something else..hint: N.I not in so distant future being part of ROI insteady of UK. What was the final nail? Starts with Brex..
Reply Why are you so scared of discussing the EU? They are our ally and trade partner. I was asked by the pro EU people at the Cambridge Union to debate it, and rightly so. Is the EU so dreadful we must not read its documents or discuss them? No democracy there then.
February 24, 2024
But of course we discuss about it.
Whether they become or try to become (probably is more accurate) the US of Europe is their problem. We can not really influence that.
I don´t agree totally with you that EU is trying to be the United States of Europe but I do agree that it won´t over perform USA what it comes to economical success.
And hey, thanks for keeping this blog.
It is good forum for opinions back and forth.
Please keep it up if your apparently busy schedule allows it.
Much appreciated.
Reply So why has EU fallen so far behind£ the US in growth and when and how will that change?
February 25, 2024
Great question to which I don’t have a 100% answer. However please take to account that EU is made up of countries that are rather heterogeneous: Bulgaria vs Germany for exaple. Usa is made up of several states that are more homogeneous or at least less heterogenous. Further USA is one country EU is not and will not be eventhough you seem to advocating for that idea. I would be more intrested to know who Switzerland is so succesful and why are we not.
February 25, 2024
reply to Sir John’s reply …I’d suggest the ‘trade partner’ is wearing thin and is only existing through current necessity?
When ‘ally’ is put to the test we/you might have to swallow that word.
February 24, 2024
“This House should not believe in a United States of Europe”
The aspiration is not to be a “United States of Europe” but rather the “USSR” of Europe.
February 24, 2024
and having achieved it the constituent parties wanted to break away!
February 24, 2024
Why are there no debates over here like the one in Cambridge? There are more urgent discussions taking place: the little bit of sovereignty we sacrificed by becoming NATO members may not help us much if a Trump-USA decides to pull the plug out of NATO. Becoming prepared for that eventuality requires urgent debates. It may require intensive international cooperation.
Reply President Trump did not pull the plug on NATO. Avoid any chance of that by making the minimum contribution to the club as required. Why do so many EU countries think they can free ride on the USA?
February 24, 2024
Reply to reply: In his time, Trump did not pull this plug. But we may see a revengful (anti Zelenskyy) and as always impredictable Trump return. His showmanship has already helped continental countries coming closer together and increasing their defense budgets. Just like Putin did two years ago by invading a neighbouring country.
Reply President trump wants you to get budgets at least to the NATO Treaty minimum. Why do so many EU countries break the NATO Treaty, insult the USA yet expect the US to defend them?
February 24, 2024
You need to learn the rules of interacting with the US and UK under tough leadership. You think that the USA will continue to defend you at their majority cost just as you thought that the UK would continue to spend big into the EU’s coffers regardless of the outcome for the UK. We worked longer hours than other EU members and foe
forked out more cash too. Yet when Cameron asked for a few extra bites from OUR EU cake, he was frowned at and told to get lost.
Parallel argument with Trump and defence, except that now the Big Boy is in town, so you might not just be able to spit in his face.
February 24, 2024
SJS : “Yet when Cameron asked for a few extra bites from OUR EU cake, he was frowned at and told to get lost.”
He never tried, He didn’t want or think he needed to.
February 25, 2024
He had to rely on ‘yes Dave, whatever you say Dave’.
February 25, 2024
NATO membership does not in anyway diminish or subtract from national sovereignty. Where on earth did you get that idea from? It is one of its key differentiators from EU defence policies and governance.
February 25, 2024
@Peter Gardner: So if we hadn’t invoked article 5 in the Netherlands after 9/11, it would never have had any consequences for us?
February 25, 2024
The point of Article 5 is that it provides legal cover for a coalition of nation states that would otherwise not necessarily have a casus belli justifying their taking military action. It in no way compels participation in military action. In all NATO operations the nation states retain political control of their armed forces and may withdraw them at any time from NATO operational command as indeed they have. Article 5 is widely misunderstood. All NATO is is a standing coalition of the willing. Without it such coalitions are much harder and slower to get together.
the key difference between NATO and the EU, apart fromtheir different purposes is that NATO fully rspects national sovereignty, and the EU progressivles removes sovereignty from its members and its law has primacy over the laws of its member states. It can and does compel its member states to act as it wishes. NATO has no such power.
February 25, 2024
PS in regard to my last statement, this will change when the EU takes over, as it intends, the European side of NATO and EU decions in defence, security and foreign affairs are decided by QMV.
February 25, 2024
This country should leave NATO. Membership of NATO is fundamentally incompatible with Brexit in my view. Currently the country’s obligations in NATO oblige it to fund and deploy armed forces to defend Estonia, and more generally to commit to defence plans involving the defence of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. All of these countries are Member States of the European Union. Why would Brexit Britain do anything other than to prioritize the funding of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force so that they can guarantee that no Russian force will ever be able to land on this country’s territory?
Reply NATO members only help defend others if they agree to do so. It is not like the EU where you are forced to do things you do not want to do.
February 24, 2024
Sir John, ++++ Quite a Brilliant speech, a real Tour de Force, like Gary Cooper is back in town.
It’s been a pleasure to read and, as I’m only a couple of years from my 80th birthday, I can aver that the EU has, from the outset been ambitious to become a United States of Europe, an international big hitter and match for the USA. I have a distinct memory of reading a piece about exactly that when I was a teenage schoolboy.
Who’s listening, Sir John?
Maybe the audience is greater than we believe.
Many a time I saw you on Question Time, a lone voice, a quiet and patient lone voice, and a voice which always raised a titter from certain factions of the audience. So often that discouraging reception gave way to respectful silence, appreciation, and understanding as you expounded with your customary logic, sound sense and reasoning.
Sir Geoffrey Howe and Lord Mackay of Clashfern were also adept at employing the undramatic route of reason and patience in defanging the hostile forces arraigned against them, models of restraint and courtesy.
The many can be won over and the megaphones of the MSM can be muted by calm reason as it chimes with the observations of the people at large as events add to their insights and reality asserts its truths countering the counterfeit and confounding the ‘consensus’.
I learn so much from your unmissable Diary entries and also from the intelligent and well-informed responses of your unmatched readership.
February 24, 2024
👏👏👏👏👏
Spot on .. but I expect the students prefer fiction to facts! Good try though…
February 24, 2024
‘University students debating’ – aka ‘a collection of idealist fools that might gravitate to the real world one day’.
February 24, 2024
I did challenge how Brexit was being planned (or lack of). But that’s a completely different argument for being strongly pro Sovereignty – which I am.
February 24, 2024
In Poland the new government is busy locking up Ministers from the government of 2007 despite a Presidential pardon
And that new government is led by a man who was the ‘President’ of the EU, an outspoken, vitriolic opponent not only of a democratic decision made by the British in 2016, but of all our governments since then.
A man who only won a minority of the seats in the Polish 2023 elections – 157 to the 194 seats of the governing United Right party – but subsequently used EU pressure and EU threats of economic damage to exclude that winning party from government, and allied with left-wing and liberal parties whose voters had voted for totally different programmes, but whose craven politicians were grateful to achieve high office and salaries at the price of kowtowing to Tusk.
This is EU reality – exploitation, exploitation, exploitation.
February 24, 2024
M: But Mr ‘ Insufficient Progress ‘ ( remember that .. ? ) has been able to unlock Euros 137 billion for Poland. Smiles, handshakes and trebles all round no doubt.
February 25, 2024
Yes, Diane, and that is the EU all over – bribe the people with a bit of their own money to vote as required.
February 24, 2024
‘Conservative Deputy Chair Lee Anderson loses the tory whip’ – you leadership, your party and your MPs have lost the plot …..every MPs should support Lee and demand his immediate reinstatement ….bye bye the tory party
February 24, 2024
Right or wrong, Lee Anderson purely expressed an opinion, not an accusation.
I think that Thatcher was controlled or certainly was strongly guided by Christianity, and I doubt she’d object to me saying that were she alive today . There’s nothing disparaging about it, and frankly anyone saying there is has indeed lost the plot.
February 24, 2024
They’ve certainly lost the Red Wall. They have nothing whatsoever to say to aspirational, working class conservatives.
February 25, 2024
the message might be ‘try and emigrate, we need your house’.
February 24, 2024
Reform has today published their manifesto contract …you’re real competition, they said they’ll leave the Windsor Agreement, remove all EU laws and leave the ECHR immediately, and send the boats back to france ….beat that!
February 25, 2024
And hold a proper Inquiry into Excess Deaths and the jab coercion. That alone would get my vote.
February 24, 2024
There is a tendency for some to confuse those that like democracy, as in laws should be created amended and repealed through a democratic process and those that think the EU was just about getting on with our neighbors. Rejecting the unelected unaccountable as our rulers has nothing to do with the natural process of working with the peoples of the EU for a mutual benefit.
The EU is a bureaucratic body that is self-serving, for the majority of the time it is about creating a protectionist racket for vested interest – it has nothing to do with the peoples of Europe. I remember the lady that is now Baroness Fox previously a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party and editor of the magazine ‘Living Marxism’ as a serving MEP she seemingly found it hard to come to terms with the idea that as a serving member of the EU Parliament, they could only rubber stamp EU Laws. Declining, amending etc. was not permitted by elected members.
Remainers would and do label Clair Fox ‘right wing’(even with her history) as it’s the thing you do when you are bankrupt of ideas.
February 24, 2024
Lee Anderson – once again your party bows to the will of the opposition and the left wing media. They really are determined to get wiped out aren’t they?
February 24, 2024
Correct – I just don’t understand what the tories stand for
February 25, 2024
No standing room on top, as they used to shout on the buses.
Just buckle at the knees.
February 24, 2024
Appease, appease, appease. It’s all they know how to behave.
February 24, 2024
I really despair of our government as they rush to cancel Lee Anderson for speaking the truth. The only praise comes from the guardianista appologists for anarchy. An anarchy we see in spades every week in our foreign capital city.
That said, get your head around the Reform Contract. It is basically what we have been discussing and putting forward as the way to go in this diary for the past two years. Properly put to the electorate it is the way to go. I have heard nothing like it from Westminsters current bench polishers.
February 24, 2024
Sunak has made a very serious error today in suspending Lee Anderson at the behest of a couple of Labour MPs who won’t beleive their luck in claiming such a high profile scalp.
Millions of people will go along with what Anderson has said as it’s clearly evident to many that Khan is playing to his islamic friends. To suspend an MP who is very popular with mainstream members and voters in the Red Wall seats, is an act of self harm. Sunak needs to come out immediately and say he has investigated the claims, reinstate Anderson, and say that there is clearly an element of truth in what he has said. Otherwise, Sunak himself will be in deep trouble. Several other Red Wall MPs might well resign the whip in protest.
February 25, 2024
He was sacked for the same reason Suella Braverman was sacked. They both spoke the truth about the entirely predictable mal effects of successive Conservative governments’ encouragement of mass immigration of alien cultures that neither respect nor tolerate British culture.
February 24, 2024
Agree it all being a brexit fighter but one thing, why is this country supporting the awful ex Dutch PM for the NATO top job? We are still bowing to their requests.
February 25, 2024
I vividly remember him red faced issuing forth a stream of 4-letter filth about the British wish to leave his dictatorship …. and we now should support him in a top NATO job?
February 25, 2024
We should leave NATO. Why are we we funding our armed forces to defend Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland which are all EU Member States? We would be better off prioritizing the funding of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force so that we can guarantee that Russia will never be able to land forces on the territory of this country.
February 24, 2024
Wow, no wonder the lefties switched you off, SJ. A mind-boggling number of reasons of why we were right to leave the cabal that is the EU. Perhaps you hit them with too much for the die-hard remainers to be able to challenge at all. Consequently, in accordance with the registered MO of the lefty Remainers, they shut down your arguments as they were too embarrassing for the remainers to handle. As usual, it’s the facts that win arguments, not loud bluster and the shouting down of opposing opinions. When they do that, you know you’ve won. So! Please don’t stop.
February 24, 2024
The EU is a corrupt organisation as is the the UK government.
February 24, 2024
Starmer corners Hoyle who admits it’s all about intimidation (somehow flipped back on white extremists)
Nothing happens.
Anderson speaks for millions and gets suspended.
Look.
Just get out of the way. The People will sort this. You’ve had 14 years and failed abjectly.
February 25, 2024
“The EU claims to be democratic.”
You could add that the EU parliament is not supreme and has no power to initiate or to amend legislation. All it can do it is to suggest amendments to the Commission and if the Commission does not agree the matter is settled by the EU’s European Council which is not elected on a pan-European basis but comprises the heads of government, the executives, of member states and, since EU law has primacy over national law, is thus a way of by-passing the wishes of their national parliaments which are otherwise the supreme national institutions of their states.
Also QMV and the absence of a national veto means that the interests of a member state can be and are overridden by the wishes of other member states. The EU is moving to substitute QMV for unanimity in foreign affairs, defence and security which will result in the member states no longer being able to decide on these areas via their own wholly democratically elected governments and parliaments. The EU aims to extend its control of defence and security to control of the European side of NATO and the appointment of VDL is intended to facilitate this with the support of Americans wanting a single unified political-military structure in Europe.
“US GDP has now hit $80,000 a head. That is almost double the EU’s $41,000
( ed. you query these IMF figures but I think you wanted to quote PPP adjusted, not the actual figures)
“The EU is a long way off commanding the mighty resources of the USA”
That is why the German led EU supports Ukraine in order to gain control of Ukraine’s vast mineral reserves of which lithium and rare earths alone are valued at up to US$12 trillion. Von Der Leyen has declared post war reconstruction will be directed towards EU Green Energy.
“Do not be a small business in the EU – they will regulate and tax you too much”
Not a good idea in the UK either, and for the same reason. Sunak’s Framework commits the entire UK to close regulatory alignment with the EU the UK’s tax burden is the highest it has been since the immediate post war period.
Net Zero? Just like the UK.
February 25, 2024
Excellent 👏👏👏