"There you go again!"
October 15, 2015 11:07 AM
By Cllr John Marriott - Lincoln, Sleaford and North Hykeham
Originally published by South Lincolnshire Liberal Democrats
By Cllr John Marriott - Lincoln, Sleaford and North Hykeham
Originally published by South Lincolnshire Liberal Democrats
The late US President, Ronald Reagan, used the phrase in presidential debates to both Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter. I feel like doing the same having just having read the latest announcement from the East Midlands regarding the upcoming European Referendum campaign. Words like "stamp our message" make it sound as if the party is about to embark on an attempt to gain a little more electoral support for battles ahead.
To paraphrase the late, great Bill Shankly; "This referendum isn't a matter of life or death. It's far more important than that!" The last thing we want is for individual political parties to go off at half cock and try to use the campaign as a beauty contest. We can leave that to the 'outers'.
Also, bombarding the undecideds and flip floppers with dire warnings about what could happen if we go for a Brexit, whilst having its place in our play book, must not be allowed to monopolise the debate. We need to talk from the heart as well as the head.
You would have to be nearly 60 to have voted in the last Referendum, which asked us, as now, whether or not we wanted to stay in 'The Common Market". Most of us, myself included, faced with mounting inflation (set to reach 25% at its maximum), shortages of certain commodities (our local supermarket had been restricting sugar to one bag per customer) and rising union militancy, looked across the channel, saw the future and voted two to one to stay in. What most of us thought we were in was a trading block, with a few strings attached. What we were not voting for was a United States of Europe.
Mistakes have been made along the way. The 'ever closer union' as envisaged in the 1957 Treaty of Rome has taken several steps forward. Unfortunately these have largely been bureaucratic rather than democratic. I personally think it was a mistake to quadruple the number of members, bringing in as it has countries in the east on whose soil, as our illustrious leader mentioned not long ago, the missiles of the Warsaw Pact used to face towards us in the west. This in itself illustrates how alliances have changed; but, equally, explains partly why Mr Putin is so twitchy.
So, better inside the tent looking out than outside the tent looking in (I've changed the verb so as not to offend!). The world doesn't owe us a living and I have a strong feeling that we are not alone in wanting major reform if the European 'project' is going to stay on track. But, please, let's work with other parties, groups and trades unions to present a United appeal to common sense and optimism. Can we do it? Yes we can!
Cllr John Marriott