I AM sure we are all concerned at the events of the last few days with the closure of the Honda plant for at least four months and job loses throughout the region. However when we read of civil unrest across the European Union and also the actions of power and oil workers across the UK, we could be forgiven for thinking that the events aren’t connected.

In my view however that would seem to be a false conclusion. What we are clearly seeing is that when the world goes into recession, whoever is to blame, at a domestic level, people believe it is the responsibility of Government to respond in the interests of, in or case, UK citizens.

The issue of the Total contract situation is just symptomatic of this. What is also clear is that the British Government, like its fellow EU counter-parts, are in a bind. The EU open frontiers policy effectively prevents Britain from stopping such contract awards, however damaging to Britain and its workforce.

The Government would argue that we as a nation benefit from this arrangement and I heard a Minister, state that Britain has 300,000 such contracts across the EU. Frankly I find this figure to be incredibly high, but sadly as with most things EU I cannot find any statistics to prove or disprove this. It has to be said in the past that one could automatically believe a Minister of the Crown, but that sadly is no longer the case.

It is very revealing when it is politicians who believe in greater harmonization, even though they know their electorate do not. The global crisis has exposed clearly that the European Union will never be the one Nation State that politicians want, but the rules put into place by non elected Commissioners will prevent Nation States from self rule This conflict can only be resolved by Britain leaving the EU, and to argue that our leaving will cost us jobs, frankly is shown to be the fallacy that it is by the Total contract award. Britain has lost out to a company that is paying its workforce the basic minimum wage, as sanctioned by the EU, and are not even contributing to the local economy, their living accommodation and food being provided. The tendering process and award may be legal but it certainly isn’t moral.

ROBERT FEAL-MARTINEZ

Chairman and PPC UKIP Swindon

South Marston