Prime Ministers’s letter to the EU on reform ‘a farce’ according to Eurosceptic MP

NEGOTIATIONS over Britain’s membership of the European Union have been described as a farce that will do little to enhance the lives of people in Yorkshire, a Conservative Eurosceptic MP has said.
 Unconvinced his leader will return from Brussels with bolstered powers for Britain, Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, said only a visa system and complete withdrawl from the EU would appeal to many who live and work in the region.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Nov 2015, 17:09 BST
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after he delivered a speech on EU reform and the UKs renegotiation, at Chatham House in London, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Cameron on Tuesday formally launched his bid to renegotiate Britain's membership within the European Union, setting out four key demands for EU reform. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after he delivered a speech on EU reform and the UKs renegotiation, at Chatham House in London, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Cameron on Tuesday formally launched his bid to renegotiate Britain's membership within the European Union, setting out four key demands for EU reform. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron leaves after he delivered a speech on EU reform and the UKs renegotiation, at Chatham House in London, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Cameron on Tuesday formally launched his bid to renegotiate Britain's membership within the European Union, setting out four key demands for EU reform. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

David Cameron has written to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, asking for protection of the single market for non-euro countries, enhanced competitiveness by reducing red tape, promoting its national Parliament, and restricting EU migration with tax credits banned for migrants for four years.

Speaking out against his own party, Mr Davies said: “I think the letter is a farce to be perfectly honest. He’s asking for nothing.

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“If you don’t ask for anything you are going to get success.

“It doesn’t address any of the reasons people are concerned about the membership of the EU, like the level of freedom of movement and people which is putting a huge strain on our public services.

“It doesn’t do anything to address the £18bn membership fee which we hand over every year. This letter does nothing to address what really annoys people about the EU, it doesn’t get us any powers back at all.”
 Only a visa system that controls freedom of movement would truely address people’s concerns in Yorkshire, said Mr Davies, who wants both EU and non-EU citizens to be subject to the same entry system as each other. This would help alleviate the pressure on building new homes for people which he said Yorkshire would struggle to provide, unless it risked encroaching on countryside.

While David Cameron said he wants to reduce EU migration to Britain, he has not discussed how many fewer people he wants the country to take.

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His strategy of deterrent involves welfare not being available to EU migrants for four years, and sending people back to their country of origin within six months if they have not found work.

Mr Davies, who is a member of The Freedom Association’s ‘Better Off Out’ campaign, said: “If he wanted something to satisfy the British public [the letter] would have dealt with the free movement of people and deal with the membership fee each year.”

Businesses should be looking for trade deals with China, America and South America, and not focused towards the EU, which he said is just a small part of the world economically.

David Cameron’s promise of cutting red tape and burden within Europe is a mis-use of energy, when it’s crucial for businesses to think ‘global’ and far beyond the EU barriers, he added.

The EU referendum bill, which facilitates asking the British public whether they want to stay in the European Union, will be scrutinised in the House of Lords on November 18.

Related topics:YorkshireDavid CameronBritain