Why we should have a Referendum on the EU Treaty

Quite simply we need to get at the truth about Europe and what membership of the EU does for us and costs us. We need to get at the truth about what powers we have given away and just what further loss of control the new treaty means for the UK.

If we have a referendum then we can have a proper debate with the arguments set out so we can all have the opportunity to hear the case both for and against.

Reports on the cost of our membership vary considerably from the official Government figures which suggest we are in net profit, to independent sources such as the think tank Open Europe who suggest that our membership has cost £40b since 1998 (www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/article.aspx?newsid=2000). While the Institute of Directors have estimated the Net cost at 1.75% of GDP per annum, almost £15 billion per annum. (www.euro-know.org/articles/eumembership.pdf). Civitas predict the cost is even higher, between £17-40bn per year. (www.civitas.org.uk/pdf/EUCosts_Factsheet.pdf).

Looking at the cost of red tape and regulation since 1998, the British Chamber of Commerce found an extra cost of £55.66Bn to UK business and that 73% of this costs to business arose from EU legislation, furthermore they suggest that the Government cannot and does not challenge the figures. (http://www.chamberonline.co.uk/)

To try to put these figures in a real world human perspective, £15Bn would build us some where between 45 and 60 new hospitals. That’s no expensive tax payer pays later PFI’s.

Moving on from the costs, 6 out of 10 new UK laws are now simply rubber stamped from Europe. We are stuck with the Human Rights Act that leans towards the rights of the law breaker over the victims of crime. This act is enshrined in membership of the EU.
We cannot control our own immigration policy and struggle to deport criminals because of the primacy of EU law.
The EU landfill directive is responsible for the current local Government woes over rubbish collection and disposal as the directive can impose unlimited fines for exceeding limits on landfill. Though I am sure no one supports the use of landfill into the future as a method of rubbish disposal why should we be fined by the EU.