Shropshire Star

Lessons learned - but not by us

An anonymous writer in the Shropshire Star, May 22, perpetuates the old story that what is now the EU started with efforts to make it impossible to follow the two world wars with another.

Published

That is the reason now given for the latest customs union but in fact there had been attempts to set up customs unions long before. Certainly the Zollverein was set up, essentially by Prussia, in 1834 – a serious attempt to set up economic union, again without political union first.

These attempts all failed; Germany came into being by swallowing up Prussia and other smaller states and its subsequent attempts at major enlargement failed during those two world wars, primarily by our and our allies’ efforts, not to mention our empire’s peoples and ultimately America joining us.

A lot of lessons have been learned since, but not by us apparently. The EU’s “founders” openly stated that progress should be made slowly, step-by-step, in order that the people should not realise what is going on!

Well, we didn’t, but there may never be another chance – we must regain our sovereignty, otherwise our descendants will be slaves, not masters of their and their country’s destiny.

The “rest of the world” offers better trading advantages for us than does the EU who sell us far more than they buy from us. Further, it’s very difficult to see much comparison between us and the French public, they and we diverged over 200 years ago.

Lastly, were we ever leading lights in the EU? We are certainly major financiers but that’s a different matter. I can’t think of anytime they’ve ever said “Gosh, that British idea is good, we’ll keep that law of theirs and scrap some continental law instead”.

The only way is to leave as soon as possible, preferably by repealing the European Communities Act 1972. Mrs May is not following the best course but then perhaps as a previous Remainer she wouldn’t, would she?

Unfortunately she and the Conservatives are the best we’ve got.

A J Astley, Ellesmere

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