Friday, April 18, 2014

European elections

Voting for the European 'Parliament' will occur in early May.  This blog-post is particularly aimed at British readers but for other voting Europeans, my advice would be to punish, punish, punish, the anti-democratic forces currently running/ruining Europe.  Truth is, there isn't much choice out there as not many parties advocate pulling down the whole edifice.  Most just advocate 'reform'.

In the United Kingdom though, there is a real choice.  UKIP is a party that has the opportunity to send the largest number of MEPs to the European Parliament after this election.

UKIP don't argue for 'reform'.  Reform is like giving a terminal cancer patient a 'make-over'.  The lipstick, make-up, new clothes and hair will lift the spirits for a short while but the fundamental outcome isn't altered.

UKIP proposes withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

That said, this cannot be effected from the European Parliament.  So why bother voting for UKIP or for sceptical anti-EU Conservatives?

A strong turnout and a strong UKIP vote will raise the profile of Europe as a UK Parliamentary Election issue.  I sense that the main UK parties - Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats (and the European elite) want Europe to be a small side-issue in the next General Election.  They want to focus on the economy and spending.

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the critical importance of the economy for most people.  Britain's economy is on a knife-edge or the edge of a precipice - use whatever analogy you like, we remain in a dangerous position. Public spending is still way too high, as is the country's indebtedness. 

It's just that I think that the  'Europe Union ', with its layers upon layers of regulations and directives is a significant contributor to the UK's economic malaise.  I know it isn't the EU that cossets a bloated and inefficient National Health Service - that ones down to successive weak governments pandering to people in thrall to the service providers.  The EU does though, even in the NHS, interfere and impose barriers and obligations and regulations which add to the overall cost of that organization.

And I therefore think that the Europe question needs to be close to the heart of the 2015 General Election.  I think it is that important.  The Europe question absolutely needs to be put to the people of Britain and, if you want to have the discussion on economic terrain, then okay. Let's do that and, in doing so, tie together the key issues facing Britain. 

That then is why it is important to get UKIP MEPs and anti-EU Conservatives elected in significant numbers in the upcoming European elections.  This will cause all of the 'main' parties to come clean on the Europe issue. 

The Conservatives have a commitment to put UK membership of the EU to a referendum.  Though the leadership still have a 'we can reform the EU' approach which is doomed to failure.  You don't reform junkies by giving them slightly less drugs!

Labour's position?  Who knows?  Certainly not Ed Miliband the puppet leader.  Perhaps the Labour paymaster, public service union leader,  Ed McCluskey can't decide and so that is why Labour's position is um, err, um, I'll get back to you on that!

Liberal Democrats?  Ardently pro-European.  This remember is the only stage where they can play with other 'nanny-staters' and feel more important and listened-to, than they are at home.  They did though previously promise a referendum and then broke that promise but that's not the first one that they have reneged on.

So, my advice is vote UKIP in the European Elections or Conservative, where you have a Euro-sceptic one, and then vote Conservative in the General Election., with the hope that the Conservative leadership read the message from the electorate and move in a sceptical direction.

Just don't vote Labour or Liberal Democrat but do vote!



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