The party is hoodwinking

6:21pm Wednesday 23rd May 2001

WE live in a democracy but apart from hot air of which I am no connoisseur there is little to choose between the parties offering themselves for election on June 7.

Excepting for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), all candidates wish to proceed at differing speeds to European union. This federal state, embracing a common currency and defence policy, was proposed by the Werner Plan in 1970 and was described as "well stating" the common objectives of the Conservative Government which signed the Treaty of Rome in 1972. It was further stated that the "degree of freedom vested in national governments might indeed be somewhat less than the autonomy enjoyed by the states of the USA". These facts were recently revealed under the 20-year rule, under which documents are released to the public by the Public Record Office.

Interestingly, Conservative governments have done the most to undermine our parliamentary sovereignty, constitutional liberties and freedoms. In 1986 they signed the single European Act; in 1990 they took us into the ERM; in 1993 they signed the Maastricht Treaty which also abolished our weights and measures.

Tories are hoodwinking the public again. They fly our flag but will only commit to protect the pound for five years. Why not forever, on a point of principle? "In Europe but not run by Europe!" they shout. But our highest elected government ministers have now to beg permission of unelected Brussels bureaucrats to carry out British government policy witness foot and mouth.

Why should Britons buy food within the Common Agricultural Policy when we could buy it off the world market for £1,000 less per family per annum? Why should Commonwealth allies, who lost countless lives in the wars, have their goods excluded from Britain? Why spend £8.5 billion subsidising the EU and permit our fishing grounds to be decimated by the EU?

I present the people of Beaconsfield with a real alternative: To take Britain out of the EU and I challenge other candidates to debate this issue. The late Sir Ronald Bell, when Tory MP for Beaconsfield, would have approved.

Andrew Moffat

UK Independence Party

parliamentary candidate

Beaconsfield