“I have spent my entire political life campaigning for a referendum on our relationship with the EU which is why I was thrilled when David Cameron committed to give the public a say.
I supported The Prime Minister’s efforts to secure a new, more flexible arrangement with the EU but it is now obvious we will never manage to agree a deal which would answer the fundamental questions of sovereignty and repatriation of powers to the UK Parliament.
There are those who want to remain in the EU regardless of a successful outcome to the Prime Minister’s renegotiation and they are entitled to hold that position. But I believe they are misguided and the time has come to have the confidence to chart our own course.
I hope we can have a good mannered debate on our future with the EU and a conclusive outcome which both sides will accept. It is in everyone’s interest to secure the very best outcome for the British people and I believe that will be best achieved in withdrawing from the overbearing EU structures while remaining good neighbours to our European friends.”
I hope we vote to leave I don’t agree we send child benefit abroad, we cannot sustain any more immigrants and Iam fed up seeing our own homeless and our own children in foster care we give far too much to the e u as it is and our armed forces deserve more than they get in the way of affective uniform and help once they leave
If we assume that Tory voters in Southampton Itchen are more split on the EU than is the case with Tory MPs (let’s say 50/50, in/out, rather than 60/40 as appears to be happening with the parliamentary party), then like most voters in our constituency in the last election, I voted for a party that did not wish the UK to leave the EU. Labour has a few malcontents on this issue as do the LibDems, but these are very much in the minority. So, by my reckoning about 66% of Southampton Itchen voters have already voted in favour of remaining in an organisation that does little harm and much good in the world as well as in the UK.
Regarding the argument presented here – it appears to boil down to suggesting that EU structures are ‘overbearing’ and that powers need to be repatriated.
‘Overbearing structures’ does sound rather ominous doesn’t it? People like to moan about ‘the EU’ making people do things they don’t want to do. But people do that about the local council, MPs, even the Prime Minister. In most cases it comes down to how regulations are interpreted, or misinterpreted, locally. Is this the sort of thing you have in mind? If there’s one thing we can agree on I’m sure it’s that there will be onerous regulations and difficult bureaucrats after the referendum, so I don’t see how leaving the EU will substantially change things.
On the issue of sovereignty – the UK is a sovereign nation, able to make its own laws, engage in treaties, and make war (or not) as it chooses. The vast majority of UK laws are made by the our various legislative bodies. Many of those that are seen to ‘come from’ the European Parliament originate in the UK, and are made by a democratic institution in which British people have a say – both in terms of direct votes cast and the influence of elected ministers. As a parliamentarian you should know this, so I’m perplexed as to why you think that somehow sovereignty needs to be reclaimed. It hasn’t been lost.
While I doubt that I can change your mind on an issue that appears to be very close to your heart, I would urge you to do the right thing, keep the status quo, and represent the majority of opinion in your constituency.