SIR – David Cameron’s ‘renegotiation’ on our future relationship with the European Union has now been confirmed as a sham.
So unambitious were the goals he set out in Chatham House on Tuesday, the criticism he drew from his own backbenchers (“Pretty thin gruel” – Jacob Rees-Mogg) was, if anything, understated.
To paraphrase his ambitions, Cameron wants:
l the UK to maintain the freedom of movement of all peoples within the EU and therefore into this country
l to stay within the EU Single Market, which has a dwindling share of global trade
l to maintain the steady loss of British competitiveness under European directives
l for the UK to be a net contributor to the EU and to see further loss of sovereignty
In summary, painting the picture of a British ‘third way,’ Cameron wishes to maintain the status quo.
Like the fervent Europhile he is, the prime minister will seek to dress up his renegotiations as a victory, rather like Harold Wilson did for the 1975 referendum.
For those who know a little about the EU project, it is clear that there can be no treaty change, and therefore no significant renegotiation.
Come the referendum, let us hope the ‘IN’ campaign have the courage to conduct their campaign with honesty, and cease to lie about us being worse off outside the political union.
Let’s be clear; Cameron and his ilk think we have to remain in the EU because we’re not good enough to govern ourselves.
JAMES GOAD
UKIP Worcester
Norway is a land of equality and unions
SIR – So Francis Lankester (Letters, November 4) wants this country to be like Norway. Well, I am all in favour of that. After all, the Norwegians are very happy people, according to the United Nations; nearly as happy as the Danes, who regularly come top in the UN annual survey.
His conversion to the mixed economy using the Nordic model shows great sense. The welfare state in Norway can be described as ‘universalist’ in that it embraces everybody, rich and poor. It ticks all the important boxes like greater equality, social mobility and high trade union membership, which is supported by government and employers alike because that is how they arrange their industrial relations and solve disputes. None of this ‘private good, public bad’ attitude you get here.
I could go on about smaller school class sizes, free education from nursery to university, and keeping up housing, health transport and educational provision to accommodate a higher per capita level of immigration than this country.
Somehow, I don’t think the anti-EU rogues’ gallery of UKIP and assorted hard-right Tories have it in mind to leave the EU and then build a Scandinavian society like Norway’s.
I think they expect a neo-liberal independent UK to function outside the EU and not have to sign up to 90 per cent of EU regulation as Norway does, without having any say in how the EU is run.
Glad you have got the message, Mr Lankester.
PETER NIELSEN
Worcester
l Editor's note: Due to a glitch, this letter appeared yesterday under the wrong headline. We apologise for the error
Millionaires don’t care about those in despair
Sir – I’ve read the comments on immigrants and cuts and national job losses and it inspired my poem, which is called CUTS:-
Tories
Made-up stories
Of your future wealth and hope and glory
Lies
Old school ties
Expenses that they needlessly falsify
Work
If you don’t you shirk
When you are disabled you’re just a jerk
Stealth
Ill health
“We’ll simply buy ourselves better with our vast wealth”.
Buffoon
Born with a silver spoon
They’re busy counting their ancestors’ doubloons.
Smile
His home’s a country pile
With room to hunt and fish and entertain a while.
Education
Don’t burden the nation
Pay for a school which has a strict matron.
Transport
Less income support
Too many children, you should simply abort.
Old
Get sick, your home gets sold
Lifetime of paying taxes, you’re robbed twofold .
Purgatory
For refugees who flee
Who gives a damn, it’s them not me?
Us
The poorest populus
Should vanish because we’re of no use.
Community
That’s you and me
Something that they don’t want to be.
Care
They wouldn’t dare
They’re far too busy being a millionaire.
Cuts
If it doesn’t affect them it’s a must
They won’t sack the chauffeur to catch the bus.
CLAIRE BADSEY
Worcester
Old postage stamps can be put to good use
SIR – I am appealing for used postage stamps which help me raise funds which I then donate to the Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Recycling used postage stamps is such an easy way to raise money for the charity and I am always in need of all types of postage stamps, including British, foreign and Christmas stamps.
If you are able to help I would be grateful if you could cut the stamps from their envelopes (leaving a 1cm margin around the stamp).
Please thensend them to the address below.
Thank you,
MYRNA CHAVE
PO Box 91
Virginia Water
Surrey
GU25 9AR
stamps4gdftb@live.co.uk
Claims about trading with US are garbage
SIR – This will be something the pro-Euro brigade will not want you to read... British exports to Europe DOWN 2.1per cent, sales to the rest of the world UP 6.8 per cent.
This week’s official figures shows a dramatic return in our trading patterns, which has huge implications for the EU referendum debate.
The more facts we read, the more it becomes apparent that an independent Britain could prosper outside the EU. There are massive markets to crack like China, India and Brazil.
That the Americans insist they want us to remain in the EU to do business with us is total garbage. Their senior politicians have stated they would be prepared to forge a separate arrangement for Britain, as so has Brussels, which already does business with 17 non-EU countries.
GB DIPPER
Leominster
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