YP Letters: Britain's raw deal from EU membership

I WONDER if it is too late to introduce a third option into the referendum ballot. Instead of “Leave” or “Remain”, I should dearly like to be able instead to opt for the French version of EU Membership.

We never see the French president hawking himself round the other EU leaders, begging for concessions. The French seem simply to take on board those bits of legislation with which they find favour, and ignore anything which doesn’t suit them.

This came to mind again when I saw the front page story (The Yorkshire Post, March 2) telling us how Defra officials have failed to pay out CAP rural payments to too many of our benighted farmers, and I just could not imagine the French farmers missing out on their share of any subsidies on offer.

Many of us will remember how the EU ban on British beef exports after the BSE crisis was lifted on August 1, 1999, and how the French flew in the face of this ruling by continuing to disallow imports of British beef.

From: Raymond Shaw, Hullen Edge Road, Elland.

AS an individual who was involved with farm payments from the days of the 1932 Wheat Commission, I must take issue with former NFU boss Sir Peter Kendall who, to me, appears to emulate Arthur Scargill’s attitude to the coal mining industry.

Brexit could result in the re-energising of our own butter industry which, at present, is almost entirely non-existent. It would make our exports cheaper so encouraging our industry to export competitively.

From: EJ Montgomery, Lilac Avenue, Beverley.

THE UK is no longer in complete control of its affairs: many powers have been given away by the successive occupants of 10 Downing Street. The EU control fishing, agriculture, immigration, financial services, energy and trade.

Others, such as our Armed Forces, are being gradually being brought under EU control. British people have the opportunity to regain control of their country. We have a choice: being subsumed and eliminated, or, becoming a free, democratic and sovereign nation.

From: Jack Brown, Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, Barnsley.

IT may take an election or two – with increasingly fractious parliaments – for a change in party politics to take place but the consequences of a Brexit are as certain as night following day:

We will put up the ferry, air and Tunnel shutters. The party that proposes otherwise will never be elected to power again. All illegal immigrants – a High Court judge declared that 80 per cent of those who came during the “open door” years were illegal – will be isolated until they too return to the EU or their homeland. The party that proposes otherwise will never be elected to power again.

From: JG Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

ONLY the EU could have negotiated an agreement as 
bad as the one proposed with Turkey.

Not only does it allow as many migrants as have already crossed the Aegean to settle in Europe, but this number can be endlessly added to by people who will become legally qualified for entry thanks to someone else’s future brief illegal visit to the Greek islands.

It doesn’t help that Europe is dominated by a Germany in the thrall of a leader pursuing an ideology which threatens to destroy us. Unless saner voices prevail, the sooner we are out of the EU the better.

From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield, Skipton.

THE EU is dead in the water and as soon as all member countries realise this the better it will be for all concerned, except, of course, the ones on the gravy train. We must be brave, take the lead and vote to be out in order to set a precedent for all the other countries who would dearly love to be out.

From: Ian Oglesby, Stamford Bridge, York.

IN response to Martin Crowson’s comment (The Yorkshire Post, March 8) that Norway has no influence on how the EU operates, he fails to mention that the EU dictates our position when fixing Single Market rules whereas Norway, in the EEA and as a member of the EFTA and the Nordic Council, has its own voice, for example in rulings by the UN Economic Council for Europe. This is one of the global bodies, higher than the EU in fixing rules.

From: MP Laycock, Wheatlands Road East, Harrogate.

MARTIN Crowson points out several weaknesses in Norway’s trading arrangements with the EU. Most of Norway’s political elite wanted to join the EU but the people would not let them.

However, they did not need popular support to agree to adhere to EU laws and accept free movement of people. If Britain leaves the EU, there will be no need to agree to such terms. The EU exports more to Britain than Britain exports to the EU.

From: David Pickering, Chesterfield.

CHESTERFIELD Labour MP Toby Perkins is trying to get a Bill through Parliament that England should have its own National Anthem.Many people seem to favour Jerusalem, but with David Cameron and the Labour party’s leanings towards Europe, is it more than likely to be Das Deutschlandlied.