Europe and the EU

	Our governments continued commitment to the undemocratic, corrupt and unreformable EU is the subject of our primary policy. We will ensure that Britain is governed democratically by the elected party in Westminster.
The EU controls farming and fishing, its 'harmonised' rules about everything from food-labelling to taxation already account for 70% of our laws, and it is now setting up Euro-police, systems of justice, common defence and foreign policies even though its new Constitution has not yet been agreed. This alien system of government is bad for our economy, our self-respect and our prosperity. Yet all the old political parties remain firmly committed to the EU.
Topic Links www.brugesgroup.com www.speakout.co.uk www.democracy-movement.org.uk www.campaignfortruth.com www.betteroffout.co.uk www.free-europe.org
Our Policies 1a. An independent Britain. We will formally withdraw Britain from the EU by repealing the 1972 European Communities Act. This will release us from obligations under EU treaties and re-establish the precedence of UK law over EU law. Remember, without this the elected Government at Westminster is powerless and useless. Subsequently we will immediately stop paying into the EU budget and we shall resume full independent participation in international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, North American Free Trade Agreement and the European Free Trade Association. Of course, leaving the customs union would mean leaving the single market, too. That would involve losing the right to free movement of goods, and would have complex consequences for a number of industries. But overall we would be able to negotiate at least as good a deal through an inter-governmental trade agreement with the EU as we now have through the supranational single market. 1b. An independent economy. >>> See also Economy. The prize to Britain of recovering control of its trade policy would be glittering indeed. Even if the EU insisted that we pay the usual customs duties, were subject to the normal quotas imposed on ex-EU trade, the UK would benefit by 2.5% of GDP. A £12bn a year surplus would be created by not ploughing taxpayers money into the EU to keep it going. Every British taxpayer pays around £600 a year for our membership with the EU. For every £1 we receive from the EU, British taxpayers must hand over £5. Needless to say we will continue trading with our European neighbours, hence there is no question of threats to the 3 million UK jobs that are associated with exports to the EU. As we buy more from EU countries than we sell, it would not be in the interests of the EU to disrupt trade. The EU has never considered preferential trading arrangements with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, America and Hong Kong, all of which have English as a native tongue or widely spoken second language. Britain would benefit from negotiating free trade agreements with each of these. As a result of EU policies, the average British family has to pay an extra £1,500 on food. Outside of their customs union, we will benefit from importing food on our own terms, thus saving the average family of four some £1,500 a year. We will pursue trade disputes at the WTO in our own right, without having to wait for a perceived common European interest.
2. British laws for the British people. We will then govern the repeal or amendment of the mass of UK laws and statutory instruments that have originated in the EU, replacing them if necessary with laws that are in British interests alone. We will govern the the replacement of all the EU's 'common' policies, such as farming, fishing, and most importantly immigration and justice with our own arrangements.
3. Leaving the door open. Alternatives and the future. We are not opposed to the idea of future European memberships, if they are beneficial to Britain. However, the EU in it's current state cannot deliver these benefits without huge economic, legal and social penalties. One possible alternative to complete withdrawal from the current EU may be a partial tactical withdrawal. This would mean the UK withdrawing from all but trade and economic agreements, such as the centralised fishing, farming, immigration, law and justice, defence and social policies, and many more. As a result of this, much negotiating over fresh trade agreements with the EU could be avoided for both sides. And of course with a vastly reduced membership, we would expect to offer a vastly reduced membership fee. This is believed to be well in excess of £12billion at present, so this would be reduced to a fraction of that sum. We believe that the present EU is not able to reform itself in the way that is desperately required, due to the way it is structured. Our vision for the future of Europe is the re-establishment of a European Economic Community, allowing the nation states of Europe to protect their economies whilst retaining control and soveignty.