View of Britain, letter from a party member to Welwyn Hatfield Times: A MIDGET POSTURING ON THE WORLD STAGE

10.09.24am GMT Sat 10th Nov 2007

Maurice Richardson

That seems to be the future for Britain envisaged by M Harvey of UKIP (WHT 7 Nov 2007). Compared with the realism of Alex Benakis: "the survival of our little country depends on the survival of Europe", Mr Harvey's "Britain is still one of the strongest countries of the world" is so deluded as to be positively unpatriotic.

The simple fact is that the super-powers, the USA, China, and, in the future, India, will dominate the world. There could be a fourth super-power: Europe; one which by its long traditions of tolerance and common-sense could be a great moderating influence. That important influence can only exist if the nation states of Europe are willing to sink their differences and concentrate on their common principles and their common interests. Most of the other European countries know that, the then tiny Liberal Party knew it way back in 1951 when it alone wanted us to be one of the founding members of the new Europe. Thinking politicians of all Parties know it - that's why Ken Clarke and Michael Heseltine stood out against the self-destructive tendencies of the Tory Party.

Of course there should be an informed democratic vote on the whole question of Britain's place in Europe. But two things need to happen:

First, the EU should become truly democratic. Its Ministers should be elected by, and responsible to, the European Parliament, as at Westminster. There would be no place for the unelected clique who are at present nominated by the leaders of the various countries. The term "Brussels" would then be cleansed of its implication of shady manoeuvrings by superannuated politicians given a job as Commissioners. The EU should not try to determine what happens in individual countries and does not affect the others; for example Sunday opening of shops is clearly not suitable for pan-European rules.

Secondly we need to be freed from the steady flow of poison from newspaper proprietors who hate Europe and all that it stands for. In particular, we have allowed the media in this country to be dominated by Rupert Murdoch, an American (formerly Australian) who has his own agenda. The "Sun" comic uses much ot its space for Page 3 girls and scandals, but it finds room to encourage anti-Europe tendencies in our country. It does not point out that British judges play an important part in the European Court, that it is often the British representatives who propose the legislation in the European Commission. The result is that a high proportion of the UK population firmly believes that we are being dictated to by other countries, and does not understand that we in return influence what happens in the whole of Europe.

Maurice Richardson 1 Thrush Avenue Hatfield"