Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

No. We shall continue to participate in NATO.

If the EU decides to create its own 'army' we should leave them to it and withdraw any help of ours. I have a distinct feeling that America would do the same.

That would be interesting.

I wonder how effective the unified countries of Europe would be at resisting potential Russian expansion.

Interesting times ahead.

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

France will thank you for it. They are now the only EU memberstate with a seat in the UN security council, and in posession of atomic weapons.

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

You could be wrong: (on the reading list for mps)

This month, the EU has finally come to a decision on how it intends to treat ‘third country participation’ in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF)*in future. This decision had been in development since mid-June when, at the same time, the EU announced it would be expanding its defence budget from*€600 million*to*a massive*€13 billion*by 2021.

The decision arrived at by the EU*is*that ‘third countries’ will*be allowed to get involved with PESCO and the EDF on a ‘case-by-case’ basis. This should not worry the UK, one would at first assume, as the UK is not signed up to PESCO.*In fact, the UK is one of only 3 current*EU*Member States which are*not signed up, along with Malta and Denmark.*However,*a closer look at the Brexit White Paper suggests this decision should worry those who are adamant the British Army should*not*be involved in the EU Army.

Theresa May’s Chequers proposal explicitly lays out how this current*Government envisages our future relationship with the EU on defence. It seems to be aiming for*ever closer collaboration. This is something*Get Britain Out*has warned about in a previous article for Comment Central*here.

Reported on by*Veterans for Britain*here,*Lord Owen,*while*speaking at the Henry Jackson Society earlier this year, stated the UK needs to “make a full, wholehearted commitment to NATO… and not play games with EU defence.”

Unfortunately,*the*Government’s*Brexit*White Paper states the UK ‘supported PESCO’s launch’, and supports an ‘inclusive approach to European [defensive] capability’. It goes on to say the UK wishes to work with the EU to make the EDF more inclusive to ‘third countries’.

Well, the EU has granted*the Government’s wish.

Most worryingly of all, however, is not simply the fact the UK is walking carelessly into an ever-closer unison with the EU’s defence*strategy*(which could*also*clearly undermine NATO); by encouraging PESCO, it*could feed the EU’s hunger to become an*overarching federal*super-state.

Even more worrying*is one little line, tucked in note 85 of the Brexit White Paper. What*does it say?*It states that not only is the Government*keen to hand over our*own British*soldiers,*to the*EU to get involved in EU-specific missions, but on these missions, the UK will be:

“respecting the EU’s decision-making autonomy.”

This is the most damaging line regarding defence in the White Paper, because it is the admittance*of relinquishing all power to*the EU. We will not just be surrendering soldiers to the EU through further, deeper integration, but we will be surrendering all power over*what is done*with*our troops,*and regardless of the EU’s objectives in these missions, to the EU.

This would be a disgrace if we were IN the EU, let alone when we are OUT*after Brexit. How can*anyone possibly*imagine*any situation*which*means*surrendering*the orders and lives of our*British Armed Forces*to unelected EU bureaucrats? This is NOT the Brexit we voted for in any way, shape or form. It*means more surrendering of power to Brussels, and a further way to be shackled to the EU in our post-Brexit state.*

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

You are, of course, perfectly correct. Those were the days when the British Commonwealth - sorry, the Commonwealth - felt a loyalty to the UK and, of course, we to them.

It is embarrassing that we turned our backs on you when the EU began to take over. Actually, as ever, it was our politicians who did that. And now we are going to come back pleading for your support yet again.

Of course, the Antipodes were also under threat seventy-odd years ago from Japanese expansion, as was India.

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

Why should you need to plead? Countries will be queing up to do trade with the UK. You seem to have come to a different conclusion?

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

Hear hear!

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

Correct !

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

I hope you will excuse me for saying that this is a misleading statement.

There is, as yet, no European Army.

There are armed forces of individual EU member countries, most of which participate in NATO exercises as do we.

We and they have been doing that for 70 years.

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

Please read post #33 before you make more of a fool of yourself.

Re: EU Swindle Of The Century

The EU was devised to prevent julie's son and mine would stand against one another in the battlefield. So far the EU succeeded.