A bizarrely complacent Nigel (now Lord) Lawson told the Financial Times last week that David Cameron's plan to negotiate a better deal with Europe was likely to fail and the British people would see through any "make believe" new settlement.

Quite reasonably, he observes that other EU member states would not reopen treaties because they feared that would lead to a fragmentation of the club. They would never reverse the EU's "theology" of ever closer union, he says.

But then Lawson goes on to express a belief that the British public would not fall for a minimal renegotiation of terms, similar to the limited concessions won by Harold Wilson before the 1975 referendum. "The British public is much more sceptical", he says. "I don't think they're going to be taken in by Wilsonian make-believe".

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I'll have to think about it - the idea of a referendum does not appeal, Cameron plays loose and fast - we need an existential crisis in the EZ - the MSM have stopped showing Athenians scavenging and blaring on Spanish youth unemployment figures.

Lord and heavens above, do we need a strategy though.

We, are still too divided and they [TPTB] have us just where they want us and though I have the utmost respect for Lord Lawson - not least for his stand out anti green agenda stance - he is maybe though, a little over optimistic on the solidity of British-EU-scepticism.


It still points to reform of the electoral system [small matter] and Referism - does it not Richard?

You say:

If that is the task, those words must be short, sweet, and memorable. I would recommend that you go William Wallace:

Freedom!

Yes, it sounds hokey. But not anywhere as much so as what Your Betters spout. And quite frankly, that IS what you seek. Just as his fictionalized character in Braveheart did. I know not how accurate the story may be, nor does it matter. Not any more than the Euroheaven story matters. It is what you can sell that does. And an array of "what could be" if your nation was OUTSIDE the EU, reasonably fleshed out and presented credibly, can win hearts, minds, and votes. Especially if things are not going well within.

Suggestion: What is the MOST hated EU policy/regulation from your country's perspective? Pick the prime driving EU regulation for same and put it out for the world to see. Then propose what should be instead. Put enough flesh in what you propose to show that it is indeed credible, but don't do so much that EVERYONE can find something to fault in it. For this, you need someone who has experience writing regulations, whether governmental, corporate, or social. Once you have done that internally, put it out as you did the Harrogate Agenda for wider review. Strongly resist the urge to go way down in the details, just as you have done for Harrogate. But put enough in to show that the proposal is credible, and to contrast to the current intolerable situation.

Once you have done that for the WORST of the EU, move on to the next-most hated policy/regulation and do the same thing. Once you have got at least three such fleshed out and accepted to the extent that you currently are with Harrogate, take it to a larger audience. You will, of course, be attacked by the Media initially. If you can get through them, you will then be attacked by your government. And if they can't stop you, then the EU machine will be cranked up to full power in an intimidation exercise similar to what Greece has been through. But at the start, neither your government nor the EU will waste their time on you, which gives you the advantage of building support against the Media, which many in your country already do not trust. If you can find a reasonable diet of meat to put in your "meal", there's nothing like a surge of support to feed upon itself and overwhelm ANYTHING out there. A tidal wave of mad dogs and Englishmen, as it were, can be truly unstoppable. As many of your nation's foes found out in the past.

I like that old Guardian cartoon. 'Europe' the bright new future.

Not that there's any going back to the old Commonwealth but looking at the growth rates in India, malaysia, Canada, Australia etc etc and comparing to Greece, Spain, Italy what fools we were.

Good one!

The word on the beach is 'home.'

This word was used to good effect in the Euro '96 football chant song 'Three lions / football's coming home.'

"I don't accept the comfortable fiction that people were somehow deceived into believing that this was about a trading arrangement."

For MP's and particularly the Labour cabinet at the time, it was probably the case that they knew the situation. For the public at large and myself included who took little interest in politics at the time the prospect of a better trading climate seemed worth a vote in favour. I would surmise that many voters, especially the younger voter, felt that putting the war behind us was a good thing. We were all taken in by the propaganda which was so brilliantly researched by Trevor Colman MEP and others so that UKIP members could inform the public of the devious way that the 1975 referendum was won.

Your blog is so correct in pointing out the change in mood since those days. people thought I was mad when first taking up the baton against the EU, firstly for the faux Referendum Party and then for UKIP after hearing Christopher Booker, Bill Jamieson & Nigel Farage at the City Hall in Salisbury on a dreary night in Salisbury in 1996 before an audience of nearly 500 people.

Many of the people who thought I was mad now actively rail against the EU, especially for the immigration issues that have brought pain to those seeking work and a home, dental services, NHS services etc. Applying European Human Rights laws have added fuel to the fire.

However, the Labour Governments of Blair and Brown plus the Cameron/Clegg coalition have kept the UK ship afloat with borrowed money. Until Britain plumbs the depths of poverty like Greece and Spain, and the young and poor can be persuaded to support a political party that wishes to leave the EU there is no point in pressing for an IN/OUT referendum.

Unfortunately too many UKIP supporters are ex-Tory supporters who still "carry a torch" for that party. They wish to turn the Conservatives 180 degrees. No hope.
Until a party emerges that can coalesce the poor, the young and the disaffected to win a majority of seats in Parliament (but enough to hold the balance of power may suffice) there is little hope for the anti-EU brigade. With the worsening UK position on World Trade thanks to the EU and the Asian tigers that moment is coming nearer.

Clearly, this party needs intelligent people with the ability to govern and to generate successful trade. But it will happen !

Agree.

Like Mmatis, the word 'Freedom' was the first thing that popped into my head. Its a word that is much under rated by our political classes who much prefer to promote 'Equality' (which in effect restricts freedom).
On the other hand, if your cold, wet and all at sea, just 'dry land' would be a welcome sight.