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The very fact that we are talking about the possibility of Britain leaving the European Union is Ukip's biggest victory to date.
Even five years ago the thought of this issue being even discussed was an anathema and it is a great triumph for the tens of thousands of Ukip members and supporters that they have, through calm and passionate arguments, put it on the nation's agenda.
Today we heard the skeleton of the 'Yes' side's argument: how the prime minister will lead a Yes vote. It will be a campaign based on the 1970s 'Common Market' argument where we are bombarded with views on how essential the single market is to this country. Just as people thought they were voting on a trade deal back in 1975 they will be told that the EU is beneficial to this country and our economy.
But we know the clear benefits to being an independent, global country active on the world stage. We understand the opportunities from rediscovering our links with the Commonwealth and not only slashing the regulations to allow our own economy to flourish but engaging in free and fair trade with those countries being left reliant on aid by the protectionist measures of the EU and other trade blocs.
If David Cameron had promised a free and fair In/Out referendum during this parliament I would have cheered him. But we haven't been offered that. Cast Iron Dave - who has a track record on denying the people the chance to have their say - will instead ask the public to forget recent history and trust a manifesto pledge.
It is clear the prime minister has been forced by public opinion to offer a referendum but it is also clear that the renegotiation he speaks of will be little more than lip service. EU leaders have been clear in their warnings to the prime minister that there cannot be an a la carte EU and recently proposed changes can be done without a new Treaty. This denies Mr Cameron the negotiating position he is insisting he has.
They might let us catch herrings in the Solent but not much more.
As far as Ukip goes, claims that there is no longer a need for us are nonsense. The genie is out of the bottle: the fight for our country's liberty starts today and we are more relevant than ever.
Follow Nigel Farage on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Nigel_Farage
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i think most of us are prepared to make good our problems caused by ukip in power
rather than carry on trying to make the rest of the worlds problems our problems at our expence
lets hope they do get in
UKIP dishonestly seek credit for Cameron's decision to hold a referendum but looking at the facts they have done little towards achieving one.
UKIP did claim to hold a petition once but the £250K of tax payers money for the cause was never accounted for, seemingly trousered by Farage, Lott, Croucher and possibly others as no petition was ever presented!
They did nothing in Britain to oppose The EU's new constitution which was rebranded The Lisbon Treaty!
They have done much to help The EU refusing to assist in campaigning for an In/Out Referendum, opposing the hugely successful efforts of Nikki Sinclaire and her team which gathered over 1/4M signatures for a debate in The House of Commons and a back bench rebellion, largely the force behind Cameron's efforts to fudge a referendum. As it stands the referendum promised is of little validity and zero integrity.
The codicils to Cameron's promise render his promise of no value as an IN/OUT referendum merely a sop to the majority in Britain who actively wish to Leave-The-EU.
It is only recently that UKIP have started to realise the route out of The EU is via article 50, until now they have attacked anyone who have endeavoured to lay out or even discuss the facts.
UKIP have done much harm to the EUroSceptic cause, with overt support of racism, anti homosexuality and undeniable bullying and lies in efforts to defame those telling the truth.
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
although the people want to Leave-The-EU unfortunately UKIP failed to take any part in gainiong a referendum and clearly have failed to command any gravitas in political terms, being dependent on one man as the performing monkey but bereft of any signs of an organ grinder.
At the moment it is clear that the vote would go against the interestys of the people as salaries and scams will come to play in a referendum and the people are woefully ill informed and are likely to succumb to the scare tacticst of the well funded pro EU lobby and scoundrels like Mandelson, Branson and many more act6ing in personal self interest.
A referendum to Leave-The-EU would be lost based on the lies, spin, propaganda and self interest of political scoundrels and their parasites.
The NO Campaign has a long way to go!
Be minded of Frederic Bastiat's wise caveat:
"The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is, not to be skilfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended ".
Regards,
Greg_L-W.
UKIP have exposed the EU for what it is. Would you plough £53m PLUS PER DAY into a company who haven't had their books signed off for 18yrs and heads of the company not elected or believe that they are answerable to no-one? I very much doubt that too!
'Fighting for our liberty',and other jingoistic soundbites sound just as ridiculous and juvenile when spoken with a plummy English accent as they did in the US Republican caucuses last year.
Farage is awfully good at criticising; pity that Cameron's decision is actually a disaster to his party, & he knows it & his followers know it as well.
So where are these new markets? - South America; present value of our trade is negligible and it will take years to build up a presence in those markets; India, where we are only the seventh or eighth trading party behind the US; Japan; China; South Korea and even France despite it being a former colony.
As for Australia and new Zealand, they made it perfectly clear following the end of the second world war that their future was with the US and Asian Nations rather than the UK (we were no longer in a position to help defend them - thus the ANZUS pact).
And the Chinese are dominating trade in Africa; helping to build up the infrastructure in exchange for desperately needed commodities.
How does Farage propose to change our relationship with the ROW in a meaningful way that will lead to real jobs with making real things that other nations wish to buy?
I suppose they think we can undercut all the EU trade deals with these growing economies and get better, more attractive deals. Possible, but something that would come at the cost of new investment into the UK, so wouldn't be any great gain.
All weak economic arguments mainly tailored to fit the cultural ideals and prejudices of some privileged reactionary out their last 30 years or so in a rural idyll in middle England, someone irrelevant to modern Britain and unlikely to suffer any real long term consequences of us leaving the EU.
Do you really want to end up like Greece, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Italy and now France - bankrupt and asking for bailouts, signing over more and more of our country to unelected people who are trying to stamp out people's identity, culture and democracy?
It was the deliberate "flow of misinformation" by our politicians that got us to sign up in the first place - to a trade agreement, NOT to be governed by Europe, which as we now know was the plan all along and admitted by all involved.
Britain has MUCH to offfer and currently exports more and has trade surpluses with economies outside of the EU. Why pay £53m+ per day for a market which is rapidly in decline and more and more countries going bankrupt?
Norway has already indicated that they would like to forge an alliance with us and Switzerland - and they are 2 of the richest countries in the world! I think that speaks volumes about how well we will do outside of the EU!
He deiberately held off giving us the referendum, knowing full well that once it was rattified by the other countries, our referendum wouldn't count. AND HE IS TRYING THE SAME TRICK AGAIN!
His speech was full of conditions and he has even said he will fight to stay in the EU. It's a BIG IF he gets back into power, but if the does happen, he is safe in the knowledge that once the Lisbon treaty comes into full effect in Nov 2014, we cannot hold a referendum without the authorisation of the EU!
We have ALL of our welfare services, NHS and housing stretched to breaking point, people who have lived and worked here all their lives being outplaced over immigrants, most of us can't get a GP appointment for 2 weeks. Councils who are refusing to provide figures regarding social housing for immigrants for fear of public outcry. Gangs of Europeans commiting crimes in our communities, driving on our roads with no insurance or licence, people dying in hospitals from lack of the most basic care - have you really looked around and seen how much our country has changed over the last 10yrs? It's devastating, manyof my elderly neighbours are scared our of their wits!
Immigration CAN be a good thing, in times like now, it is not. Many (NOT all) who have come over in the last 10yrs have come purely for the benefits, like the Lithuianian girl in last weeks papers, openly bragging about what a good life she has here on benefits. There are people out there not able to get jobs because the immigrants will do it for less pay, making a sham out of the minimum wage. Enough is enough!
UKIP are to politics what Eddie the Eagle was to ski jumping, great fun to watch but destined to be last in each event!
The effect of this statement is two-fold:
Firstly, it will attract more voters to his party
Second, it will attract more voters to his party- from the UKIP.
And that, according to Mr Farage, is a victory for the UKIP.
Listen to the electorate...
That's worth celebrating, and whilst many don't, I really bloody appreciate it.
Ed agrees with the vast majority (see any poll).
It's why we don't have a referenda for single issues like bringing back capital punishment, because people would vote for it, but then probably be horrified at the unforeseen consequences.
We elect the officials we think will be competent and make good judgements. In effect, I delegate these decisions to someone else with all the facts.