  Andrew Duff MEPLiberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for East of England    |
Sovereignty
- Britain never chose to be in Europe, it was imposed on us. This is untrue. The decision to join the European Community was taken by Parliament. After a "renegotiation" in 1975, the House of Commons voted by 396 votes to 170 to remain in Europe. This was endorsed by 67.2% of the vote in the referendum on 5 June 1975.
- During the 1975 referendum, nobody talked about sovereignty. This is untrue. The official statement by the YES campaign, distributed to every household during the referendum said: "Our trade, our jobs, our food, our defence cannot be wholly within our own control. That is why so much of the argument about sovereignty is a false one. It's not a matter of dry legal theory. The real test is how we protect our own interests and exercise British influence in the world. The best way is to work with our friends and neighbours. If we came out, the Community would go on taking decisions which affect us vitally - but we would have no say in them. We would be clinging to the shadow of British sovereignty while its substance flies out the window."
- Decimalisation was forced upon us by Europe.This is untrue. The sovereign British Parliament agreed to adopt decimal currency under the Decimal Currency Act 1969, before the Heath government that took Britain into Europe was even in office.
- Metric measures were imposed on Britain by Brussels. This is untrue. The decision to introduce metrication in Britain was taken by Parliament many years before we joined Europe, under the Weights and Measures Act of 1963.
- A currency union leads inevitably to a single state.This is untrue. The Irish Republic was in a currency union with the UK from 1921-79. That did not mean that Eire became part of the UK.
- The single currency will lead to a single European state.This is untrue. Britain has the right to veto any changes to the structure of Europe. The key decision-making body in Europe is the European Council, which consists of the elected heads of government of each EU country. We can block any changes we do not like.
- The French want to create a European super-state. This is untrue. French President Chirac has said: "The EU doesn't want to be the United States of Europe but the united Europe of states."
- The European Union is designed to "harmonise" the peoples of Europe. This is untrue. Margaret Thatcher has said: "It is a myth that our membership [of Europe] will suffocate national tradition and culture. Are the Germans any less German for being in the Community, or the French any less French? Of course they are not."
- Devolution in Scotland, Wales and London is part of a European plan to sideline Westminster in favour of regional governments relating directly to Brussels. This is untrue. The creation of regional assemblies for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the London Assembly, are all UK government policies backed in separate referenda and nothing to do with the EU.
- Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) are a plot to replace Britain with Euro-regions as part of a United States of Europe. This is untrue. The new RDAs were created and defined by Acts of Parliament. They are appointed by, and accountable to, the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. Their creation has nothing to do with Brussels Bureaucrats.
- In a clear attempt to divide and rule Brussels has wiped England off its new euromap: Scotland, Wales and Ireland are all in place, but England is represented only by its regions. This is untrue. Designations of regions are decided by member states, in this case the UK, not Brussels.