Looking to the Swiss for inspiration

WITH reference to your article on David Cameron advising he will not campaign for the UK to leave the EU (Yorkshire Post, July 20), once again the Prime Minister shows just how out of touch he is with the views of the British public with the comments attributed to him.

He thinks that leaving the EU would be against the national interest when an overwhelming majority of the British public think it is against our national interests to stay in this undemocratic, corrupt, German-dominated dictatorship.

His latest statement that we would become a larger version of Switzerland also shows how out of touch he is with the outside world. Switzerland, like Norway, (both refused to join the EU after referendums, the Swiss on three occasions) is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe.

It has beautifully clean cities, an excellent rail network, a sound manufacturing base, a good financial sector, controls its own immigration, is the most democratic country in Europe and, per capita, is probably the richest too.

What is wrong with being a bigger version of Switzerland?

Add to that the fact that Switzerland and Norway trade with the EU on exactly the same terms as Britain, but without the huge membership fees, and the gross over-regulation which strangles the life out of our businesses then being a bigger version of Switzerland is a win-win situation. Finally, one last advantage the Swiss have is they make their own laws, unlike us, whose laws are almost always overruled by the EU to the detriment of Britain.

From: Arthur Quarmby, Underhill, Holme, Huddersfield.

DAVID Cameron says that he would not campaign for Britain to leave the EU – if, that is, the repeatedly-promised referendum were ever to take place – because that would lead to the UK becoming “a greater Switzerland”.

Switzerland has had the good sense to retain its independence by staying out of the EU (to say nothing of two World Wars), and has prospered enormously as a result.

If Mr Cameron intends that we must stay in the EU, will he be the first PM to dare to confirm to the British people that the aim of the EU is, always has been and always will be, complete political union – the creation of one country?

From: Don Burslam, Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.

WELL I never! It does seem as though the Government is leaning towards having a referendum on Europe. This will effectively shoot the fox of Ukip and other malcontents.

The increasingly strident calls for a vote on Europe are of course based on the assumption that this would result in a decisive vote to pull out – but don’t be too sure.

Quite apart from the solid benefits of membership, eg the hundreds and thousands of jobs dependent on our being in it, the weakness of our economy reduces the realistic options. Isolation in fact becomes a less and less viable prospect and there is a rapidly growing acceptance of this. There is also a little matter of unpicking and co-ordinating institutions and the law after membership of 40 years. This would be a formidably expensive undertaking and a paradise for the lawyers.

David Cameron says that if we did leave the EU we would end up as a sort of Greater Switzerland; we should be so lucky! A more likely destination would be a poorer offshore version of Norway.

From: David H Rhodes, Keble Park North, Bishopthorpe.

IS my analysis of the direction/progression of the EU and British constitution correct? I see the EU not resting until the British Parliament becomes little more than a parochial assembly with ever diminishing powers, unless of course the EU itself implodes.

Three of the four unions of Britain want their independence, so let England also have its own. Our referendum should not be based on residency, as for a general election, but should be on nationality. Thus to vote for England to have its own parliament the Scots, Welsh, and Northern Irish would be ineligible.

Each of the four unions 
could then independently vote 
on EU membership. May I suggest that realism is more important than idealism, so maybe it is not yet time for border controls, and definitely not with G4S in charge?

From: George Senior, Sparwell Lane, West Cowick, Goole.

SO swings and roundabouts Dave won’t campaign for the UK to quit the EU because he doesn’t want to create a Great Switzerland.

Like all politicians once in the driving seat they don’t want to scuttle their chance of becoming the president of the EU. It’s time to replace these Etonian twits with a few entrepreneurs who will aspire to make this country run like a Swiss watch.

Dispute resolution

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

In less than eight years’ time, when we have comprehensively failed to meet our obligation to produce 32 per cent of our electricity from “renewable” sources, Brussels will gleefully impose on us a penalty of several billion pounds.

Also, by that time, a very large proportion of our people will be facing serious financial difficulties and will make clear to their MP that to meet this demand will cost him his seat at the next election.

Thus, the Government will inform Brussels that by virtue of the sovereign will of the people of this sovereign nation, the penalty will be ignored.

Brussels will reply that they have already taken that particular sovereign right away from us. Some say the EU was set up to put an end to wars between European nations. Is this the way to avoid disputes?