Opinion: Why I Will Be Voting To Leave The EU

Published on: 15 May, 2016
Updated on: 17 May, 2016

Cllr Christian Holliday

By Christian Holliday

Conservative ward councillor for Burpham

This article is the first of a series of five setting out Christian’s personal views on a on the EU referendum debate. They are written in response to Nils Christiansen’s article: Why I Will Be Voting ‘Remain’ in the EU Referendum.

We can all agree on the significance of the referendum on June 23. As the European Union drives towards ever closer political union – something very different to the common market we originally joined – it is absolutely correct the views of the public are obtained in a public vote.

Such an opportunity to gauge the views of the public on this matter may not come again for 40 years, if ever, by which time the European project may be so far advanced it will be impossible to unpick at a later date.

Nils Christiansen is correct that it comes down to an exercise in weighing up the negatives and the benefits. In my view the negatives now so massively outweigh the small number of benefits that we should leave.

Indeed, it is this realisation – amongst British voters and Conservative MPs in particular – that brought this referendum about in the first place.

The fundamental change in the nature of the European Project means a fresh mandate for it is needed. Millions of us, including me, weren’t even born when the last referendum was held in 1975.

Cllr Christiansen touches upon his experiences of “French nepotism” in the EU. He has stumbled upon more here than I think he realises. The French elite doesn’t feel “less French” by being in the EU for the simple reason that they have sought to create an EU in their own image – Bureaucratic and centralised.

For half a century the French have dominated the key appointments of the EU, partly as a result of Germany’s self imposed political slumber – although this is changing fast.

However, the views of the French people themselves are, as always in Europe, very different to those of the people who govern them. The French people rejected the European Constitution in a referendum in 2005 and if a referendum been held on their membership of the Euro, they would have opted to retain the Franc.

The grim reality is that it is only the elite of France and Germany calling the shots in this organisation – and increasingly only Germany as she hoovers up money and power from other countries, via the European Single Currency – surrounded by smaller satellite states who see a chance to finally achieve greatness as part of something bigger, at the expense of democracy and accountability.

These themes and more are certainly worthy of debate in the weeks leading up to June 23. As part of that debate I will be advocating withdrawal from the EU.

Responses to Opinion: Why I Will Be Voting To Leave The EU

Jim Allen Reply

May 15, 2016 at 11:08 pm

From an older man’s point of view, Christian’s arguments provide a stronger foundation for the future than much respected Nils’ view of ‘remain’.

But both put rational views without the hysteria of the press.
David Pillinger Reply

May 16, 2016 at 4:04 pm

I wish these Eurosceptics would stop talking about the French or the Germans creating the EU in their own image. Non-stop whingeing and sending Ukip and Tory Eurosceptic MEPs to Brussels to scupper the EU certainly isn’t the way to make things work.

The EU is a brilliant democratic exercise in bringing nations together in the knowledge that the sum of the wisdom and actions of many is better than the wisdom and actions of one. People who vote ‘Leave’ are unpatriotic in that they don’t understand the dynamic global Britain of today, out of touch and hark back at the past that most of us don’t remember.

We have grown richer and more dynamic than ever during our membership of the EU and if we stopped whingeing, as Cllr Holliday and his friends constantly do, we might get even more out of this brilliant organisation, the EU.

Let’s treasure the EU because our children will suffer if we leave.
Henry Gilbert Reply

May 16, 2016 at 4:27 pm

I entirely agree with Christian Holliday. The “French elite” doesn’t feel “less French” by being in the EU for the simple reason that they have sought to create an EU in their own image – bureaucratic and centralised.”

I would like the Remainians, including Nils Christiansen, to watch the Brexit movie and see if he changes his mind about remaining in the EU and losing the British identity.

The French Jean Monnet “The father of Europe” is the one who said: “There will be no peace in Europe, if the states are reconstituted on the basis of national sovereignty”. And started the Monnet Plan in 1945.

My question is: Where sill continued membership end? Would we relinquish our British passports and obtain an EU passport? Would we be forced to speak German or French and forget our English or Swedish or whatever language, like the Russians did when they made the Russian language compulsory in their federation?

I would like to ask Cllr Christiansen and the Europhiles these questions:

1. What is the point of electing our MPs if they surrender our sovereignty so that we become puppets of the EU?

2. If the Remainians win by close margin, would the country be divided forever? Or would millions of people submit a petition for a motion of no confidence to be debated in the House of Commons?