Letter: Mark Pritchard MP told the truth on the EU
Thursday 29th September 2011, 6:29AM BST.
Letter: Mark Pritchard, MP for Wrekin and secretary of the Tories’ powerful 1922 Committee certainly told the truth on September 20.
What is more, he told it to a leading national broadsheet.
What is even more, he told it about the European Union.
They’ll be honouring manifesto pledges next.
He said: “For many Britons the European Union had become an occupying force, setting unfamiliar rules, demanding levies, curbing freedoms, subverting our culture and imposing alien taxes.
“Brussels has become a burdensome yoke, disfiguring Britain’s independence and diluting her sovereignty.
“In less than four decades Britain has become enslaved to the Europe – servitude that intrudes and impinges on millions of British lives every day.
“The majority of Britons living today have never had a say on Europe – it is time for the British people to choose their own destiny.”
I dread to think what the four pro-unionist Star readers thinks of all this.
It is one thing having a daft old pensioner from Oswestry daring to have an opinion different from their own but an MP, and a Tory MP at that, and on their doorstep, repeating verbatim what I have been saying for 38 years must be a nightmare.
Unfortunately they will find no fault with the MP’s view and, if they write at all, will have to resort to the juvenile abuse they give me.
Bob Wydell
Oswestry
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Of course Mr Pritchard told the truth about the EU! Unfortunately lots of Conservative back bencher’s have done so in the past. Even more unfortunately that does not seem to have had much effect on the parties leadership.
I have long thought that the Conservative leadership quite likes it when one of the party breaks ranks and grabs the headlines with anti-EU rhetoric, it gives the party a veneer of “respectability” on the subject, without in any way damaging its real intentions of remaining in the EU no matter what.
If we want to achieve anything with regard to regaining our independence, we can no longer look to any of the big three parties for support, all they will ever offer is empty rhetoric. A vote for LIBLABCON is a vote stay in the EU, a vote for continual integration and a vote for further sovereignty to be lost.
Report abuse
Interesting thought that ‘the Conservative leadership quite likes it when one of the party breaks ranks and grabs the headlines with anti-EU rhetoric’. There might be something in the idea but if you take actual issues, as opposed to peersonality, leadership styles etc, the Europe question effectively finished both Thatcher and Major as PM. When a Cabinet member starts talking like Pritchard, it’ll be trouble for Cameron for sure.
Without particularly wishing to return to the withdrawal question, I do wince at Pritchard’s choice of words. ‘Occupying force’? There are EU soldiers on Britain’s streets, then? ‘Enslaved’? Black cotton pickers in 19th century Mississippi really understood what that means. We’d have understood too had Hitler ever conquered us. But using the word to describe the EU/UK relationship is just pitiful sloganeering.
Debate on Europe is to be encouraged but, as I tried to say in the last forum, it’s considerably cheapened when people use words without thought for their true meanings.
Report abuse
I think any political initiative to force the question of our EU membership must now come through the Conservative Party. The difference betwween now and the past is the economy. What with the EU transaction tax that’s been mooted and the interference of the EC in how the UK dispenses its social security benefits, the public mood is going to darken very quickly. Cameron may be pro EU, but the Tories could literally sweep the board in an early general election if they pledged an EU referendum. Labour will hope they don’t and that UKIP – which is a dead duck – will siphon off Tory votes.
Report abuse
Cameron and Hague both came out in Sunday press to say that Britain belongs in the EU and that withdrawal would not be in our interests. With 100,000+ signatures now on the e-petition for a referendum, guess they’re rehearsing their arguments.
I welcome this because, as Mr Adams says, all 3 main parties are for staying in but the Tories in particular have rarely told us why, beyond a vague ‘free trade is good’ stance, tending instead to pander publicly to their sceptic wing.
If there’s to be a referendum, I’d insist on all celebrity/reality-show clap-trap (X-Factor etc) to be taken off air for at least 2 weeks before and the time given over to EU debate, with the pro and anti sides given 50% of air-time each. For similar purposes, the Sun would get rid of page 3 and Dear Deirdre (or whoever). After all, previous referendums held in the UK haven’t exactly covered the country in glory.
Report abuse
No I am sorry we cannot look to the Conservative party for sustenance or substance they are in a dream world of their own making where they are joined by the other parties and most of the main stream media.
Cameron wants to renegotiate yes really! He is saying he wants Britain to be in the EU, only problem not this EU, but some other non existent one where we can pick and choose. To have any success in his endeavour he would need to completely dismantle the EU and rewrite all its treaties and start again from the ground up, does anyone think that is a likely prospect?
Cameron also said the ongoing treaty negotiations where they want more financial power for the EU is not the time for us to demand power back. No of course not, when they are desperate to tighten the financial power of the EU in order to save the Euro can’t possible be the right time can it. Later perhaps when they do not urgently need our vote would be a good time?
Cameron wants to withdraw from the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights! Apart from the fact that we already have a Bill of Rights and do not need either the HRH or a new Bill of Rights.
Everyone is conveniently ignoring the fact that unless we withdraw from the EU we cannot withdraw from the HRH because since the Lisbon Treaty the EU is a political entity in its own right and the EU has acceded to the HRH. Britain as a member state of the EU political union cannot withdraw from the HRH and remain in the EU.
Of course all the MSM do is report the sound bites of the politicians they do not even seem to understand they are just repeating outright lies and basic contradictions.
Report abuse
I think both the MP and the author are a little bit mad if they really think its the “truth” that the EU is an “occupying force” then they should be in a loony bin frankly, remember when you say “we are governed from Brussels” that the UK had more say in Brussels than just about any other country, its like saying were governed from Westminster in Shropshire, well yes of course some rules are agreed collectively with other areas but we have a representative there, voting on those rules, so we directly set our own rules just in conjunction with others, we have a voice and a vote in these places, we are in control because we have an elected rep, albeit a slightly bonkers one in the case of the wrekin
Report abuse
I find the letters page of the Star increasingly depressing with the continued ramblings of Shropshire Xenophones who fail to realise that strong links with Europe are vital for trade, cultural relations and in keeping peace! Perhaps the expression ‘fog in the channel – Europe cut off’ reflects the narrow insularity of many Shropshire residents including Mark Pritchard.
Report abuse
There you go all the dismal misdirections and basic lies about the EU and those of us who are pro UK rolled into one.
Report abuse
I’m not sure all of them are xenophobes, still less xenophones (sounds more like a musical instrument than a bigot).
I’m pro-EU myself but it’s necessary for ‘our’ side to realise a) that some of the antis have arguments which are worth respecting and which could become all the more powerful during difficult times like these and b) to start putting forward all the good arguments we have, rather than hoping the whole issue will go away.
That’s why, though I’m no Tory, I was encouraged to see Hague in the Sunday press articulating why he thinks our place is in the EU.
Still, my worry about a possible referendum is that the pros (the majority) in the 3 main parties will ensure that all the serious money is behind their campaign, thus saving them from actually having to offer any arguments and that the true xenophobes will hijack the more reasoned voices on the anti side. People need to realise that this is about more than big money vs little England.
Report abuse
Hitler would be proud of the EU.They have us where they want us with not a shot fired. On my travels around I stand looking at the rows of graves at the war cemeteries and think. You all lost your lives for nothing.
Report abuse
German soldiers are NOT garrisoned in the UK or patrolling the streets with rifels are they, they are therefore NOT an occupying force and there fore the MP is NOT telling the truth
think about it ?
Report abuse
Suggest you read what the MP said!
He his description of the effect of our membership is true but I question his intentions.
Report abuse
‘his description of the effect of our membership is true’
It isn’t true. However anti-EU you are, you should at least be honest enough to admit that using words like ‘occupying force’ and ‘enslaved’ in this context is ridiculous. If you can’t admit that, you’re undermining your own claim to be a ‘voice of reason’ on this matter.
John Jones’ post, meanwhile, is beneath contempt.
Report abuse
I do not think I claimed to be a voice of reason!
Mark Prichard said : my comment ( )
When Britain voted to stay in the European Economic Community in 1975 the country was promised it would be a common market. ( this is true)
Yet over time, mostly by stealth and within every new treaty, we have been drawn relentlessly into an “ever closer union” with the Continent. (this is true)
For many Britons, the EU has already become a kind of occupying force, (conscientious, but also true, as many Britons do feel that way)
setting unfamiliar rules, demanding levies, curbing freedoms, subverting our culture and imposing alien taxes. (this is true Heath and others were questioned about the effects of EU law on British Common Law and said it would never encroach).
In less than four decades, Britain has become enslaved to Europe (? depends how you qualify enslaved) whilst we remain in the Union we do not have freedom of choice, that could be described as being enslaved.
servitude that intrudes and impinges on millions of British lives every day. Brussels has become a burdensome yoke, disfiguring Britain’s independence and diluting her sovereignty. (this is true)
Trying to contain the language used will not work, as you can see by a couple of the comments above we are Xenophobes, scared of other peoples, we are mad we should be in an asylum, and a myriad of other derogatory comments designed to create the impression that anyone who opposes our membership of this Union is beyond the pale. Of course not all of us are Xenophobes just some! But the mud is designed to stick to all of us.
However it is not the EU which is the problem but our own politicians and their parties, hence any debate about the EU which does not look at our own political system which has allowed the destruction of the nation and willingly given up sovereignty is missing the point.
Report abuse
Well an MP telling the truth and what banana boat did you come up from
Report abuse
Well yes :) perhaps I should have said he accurately described.
Report abuse