European Union
8:20am Tuesday 1st July 2008
THERE is no truth in John Hodson's assumption (HAS, June 26) that Britain has lost its independence, or by other HAS Eurosceptics that all decisions governing the country are taken in Brussels.
Another correspondent, Eric Wilson, said that the UK subsidises the EU every week with at least £1bn (HAS, June 24) when a contribution is given once a year. In 2007 this was £3.9bn. It works out at just over £2 per person.
Each national government among the EU member states is given due consideration for their needs and difficulties - eg, in fulfilling all the demands of new treaties.
Before the summit meeting a year ago Tony Blair negotiated successfully for various UK optouts from the Lisbon Treaty.
Thus, our independence was made secure and we could not be drawn into military conflict against our will.
John Heslop (HAS, June 24) and others still do not recall that Gordon Brown told the Speaker of the House of Commons last autumn that the concept of a constitution for the EU was abandoned.
No promise of a referendum applies to the Lisbon Treaty. The general opinion about referenda is that they are unreliable measures of public opinion unless they require a simple yes/no answer to two fully understood alternatives.
E Whittaker (Ms), Richmond North Yorkshire.
Your Say YourNorth-East
David Lacey, Newcastle says...
1:40pm Tue 1 Jul 08
Finally - if she is so uncertain about the value of referenda - let's have one on the "treaty". The question should be "YES" or "NO".
We all know what the answer would be, that's why Brown and his gang of thieves won't give us the opportunity.
David Lacey, Newcastle says...
1:42pm Tue 1 Jul 08
Finally - if she is so uncertain about the value of referenda - let's have one on the "treaty". The question should be "YES" or "NO".
We all know what the answer would be, that's why Brown and his gang of thieves won't give us the opportunity.
John Routledge, Witton Gilbert says...
4:16pm Tue 1 Jul 08
JM, Northallerton says...
5:59pm Tue 1 Jul 08
"Our independence was made secure..."?!?! I've never heard of an independent country for which 75% of new laws are made by a foreign power!
Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland says...
9:03pm Tue 1 Jul 08
If so, then that's fine by me, if they wish to join such a movement, but at least have the decency to tell the public, otherwise it looks like more Euro-deception.
Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland says...
9:09pm Tue 1 Jul 08
EricWilson, Hartlepool says...
4:37pm Wed 2 Jul 08
You are rightIn my letter of June 24th.I should have written that the E.U. costs the taxpayer of this country 1 billion pounds per week. It may interest you to know that I used figures produced by the Bruges Group,however research produced by the Labour Euro-Safeguards campaign suggests that membership of the E.U. costs Britain 2 billion pounds a week. I repeat that we would be better off out of the E.U.
Your sayYourNorth-East
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Edmondsley, Chester le Street says...
9:29am Tue 1 Jul 08
No referendum applies to the Lisbon Constitution ( sorry treaty) Why not?I think the Irish answered that one.
The "general opinion about referenda" Whose opinion?