London Mayor Boris Johnson set himself on collision course with Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne over their support for closer fiscal union within the eurozone, after he denounced the policy as “anti-democratic and therefore intellectually and probably morally wrong”.
Britain should negotiate a return to a “single market” relationship with the European Union, and then put it to a referendum, Mr Johnson said today.
“If people don’t think the new relationship is an improvement, then they will exercise their sovereign right to leave the EU,” he said.
I have a lot of admiration for Boris – a little nutty perhaps but a likeable and I thought reasonably moderate conservative. However I cannot agree with his foray into the EU debate – he seems to be batting for UKIP. For a start why should the UK have all the benefits of the single market including a say in its running yet abdicate from all other aspects of EU membership. Will, under his plan, we lose our European Citizenship rights, will we lose our right to do cross border shopping (relativrly unhindered), will we be again be at the mercy of the phone operators to rip us off when roaming within Europe as they still do when we are overseas? What however is preposterous is his referendum question – “Do you want to stay in the EU single market as renegotiated? Yes or No?” – a choice of being halfway out or all the way out – no choice of staying in! If he wants to be halfway out then we must become like Norway or Switzerland – or get out totally. I think Europe is getting fed up of England being the stone in its shoe – so maybe they too will opt for the latter choice and good riddance.
I am sure that you speak for the vast majority, but the Leadership of no party, ukip aside, would agree to a referendum, as they are quite simply control freaks, who do not really trust the people,and believe themselves to be “leaders” with a “destiny”
A true leader sees himself as the servant of the people he leads.
Can’t disagree with the rationale of this but as Mr Foster above says, only UKIP would ever do anything to ensure it happened.