The Anti-Brexit Campaign

I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to wonder when the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign, British Influence, the Tory Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and not forgetting the Prime Minister and his mainly pro-EU Cabinet, are going to start promoting the “benefits” associated with supranational governance and the subordination of British institutions to the European Union.

There is a lot of talk about trade with the EU, as if that would end the moment that Britain submits an Article 50 notification. There is some talk about security, as if international co-operation is entirely dependent upon EU representatives speaking on behalf of Britain and the rest of Europe in global forums. But there is precious little about the driving aim and fundamental purpose of the European Union to subordinate the historic nations of Europe to a supranational tier of governance that will eventually become their interface to the rest of the world.

There is some vague talk from the likes of Nick Clegg about EU membership increasing Britain’s “clout” in intergovernmental activities like trade talks, but the assertion is completely counter-inductive. Britain surrendering the power to conduct trade talks does not give Britain more clout, it gives the EU more clout—and it should go without saying that the EU does not talk on behalf of Britain but on behalf of the EU. If pro-EU campaigners care to argue why empowering Brussels benefits Britain, I would like to hear their arguments.

For the time being, however, we have to put up with people telling us that trade and international co-operation are not possible without EU membership, despite the fact that of 193 UN Member States only 28 are members of an organisation called the European Union. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Kenya, Nigeria, Chad, Togo, Brazil, Jamaica, etc. are all independent countries. Yet we are supposed to believe that Britain and the British people are incapable or unworthy of independent self-government? Really?

The domestic forces that support Britain’s EU membership are not even trying to make the pro-EU case. For that, you need to listen to the likes of the former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, who is commendably open about EU plans and the fact that remaining means being under the European Commission and subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. The “remainers” are not making a positive pro-EU case; they are just spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt about Brexit. Do you ever wonder why?