Thursday 26 May 2011

Could 'People Power' kill our EU membership

BJ, UKK41, has a most interesting post on the question of bail-outs and other matters 'EU - one well worth a visit.
"The nation state governments have favoured their new EU friends in Brussels and totally turned their backs on their own people – why should the people now pay for their greed and arrogance."
In the monthly newsletter from the Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIB) Edward Spalton proposes that:
"Writing only requires pen and paper and the price of a few stamps or the use of a computer and email. It could be made a great deal more effective if writers were prepared to apply a little organisation. If an editor receives one letter, he may publish it if it takes his fancy - or not.  If he receives five or six on the same subject, all expressing the same points differently, one or more is almost certain to be published. The letters page is the most read part of local newspapers.


Then there are MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates. If they get one letter from a constituent complaining about the EU they may disregard it or simply give a stock answer. If they get five or six, they will begin to take notice. Their offices keep a note of topics which concern their constituents. If they keep getting individual complaints about the EU from their constituents, differently expressed and from different people, they will begin to take notice.


If you like writing, I would like to discuss the best ways of multiplying the power of the potent influence of public opinion. People can be front line campaigners from their own homes. We need to keep up the impetus now that the enemy is on the defensive. Would anyone be interested in forming a local correspondence circle get in touch with me?"
 Edward ends with his contact details: Tel: 01283 730903 - email: edward(at)spalton(dot)me(dot)uk

Yet another idea that would need 'organisation' presents itself with the passing of the re-call bill, if it ever does get proposed by the Coalition. I have pointed out previously, any re-call of an MP will be subject to the final decision of a committee of MPs, said committee agreeing that a serious error has occurred to enable a re-call to be enacted.

With the majority of the British people in favour of a referendum on EU membership it should not be too difficult to arrange for the necessary signatures on a petition, setting out chapter and verse, calling for a re-call of the majority of MPs. Such a plan would place our MPs - or at least those on the 'final-decision' committee in an impossible quandary - in that they would either have to agree to allowing what would amount to a referendum/general election, or they would have to deny every single petition and thus show themselves to be the elected dictatorship that they have become.

Comments?

7 comments:

Sue said...

See my comments on your last post! We need to do something and we need to stop the bickering, the Coagulation must be loving it!

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Sue: Have seen your comments and have responded.

Don't misunderstand - I'm not bickering per se, just floating ideas.

English Pensioner said...

One of the problems is that too few people can write a coherent letter, something that is particularly true amongst the younger generation. You've only to look at something like Facebook or Twitter, or indeed comments on some bloggs, to see the poor literacy standards.
Who's going to take any notice of a badly spelt ranting letter full of swearwords?
Provide them with a form letter and most will happily sign it and send it off, but MPs get such letters all the time and just ignore them.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

EP: Maybe, however not all the younger generation are as you portray them, although I take your general point.

kenomeat said...

I'd always thought that the only way of getting out of the EU would be to get a substantial number of UKIP members in Parliament. Having just watched a video of the bail-out debate in Parliament I'm not so sure. For such an important debate there were only some 40 or 50 MPs present. There were several speakers, both Tory and Labour, promoting the anti-EU cause and only one advocating the bail-outs; but still there was a crushing defeat for common sense. So parliament is perhaps irrelevant.

Restoring Britain said...

I think there is much to be done. My belief at present is that whilst many of our politicians are beyond redemption there are a number who act the way they do because (and I believe they are correct in this) they are aware that the British Public are not paying attention. There is no threat to their place at the trough. I believe that if they became aware that people were watching and were willing to hold them to account then the first changes would start.

The main problem with this is many in the public do not act because they think they are alone. Even though they are probably not they are not aware of where like minded thinkers are or how to pursue this.

I think we should be looking over the pond to the US to see and learn how movements such as the Tea Party organised themselves into chapters. There is much to learn from a group who have had success as success does indeed leave clues. The Tea Party isn't a party as such but a movement willing to hold all to account regardless of affiliation in an effort to restore their country.

The growth may seem slow at the start but it will come.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

k While MPs are subject to whipping and answerable to party, they are beholden to the party leader's diktats. That is why I am drawn to open primaries and independent MPs as explained by WilliamGruff and Richard North's referendum idea.