VOTE LEAVE AT THE REFERENDUM

Published in the Echo on Saturday 16^th January 2016

 

Leaving the EU is the right choice

Leaving the EU is the only way to regain control of our borders, our economy and flooding. 

Scrapping many of the thousands of EU directives will enable us to restrict immigration; to alleviate housing shortage; lighten workload on our hospitals, A&E and Junior Doctors; and lift the ban on Home Office to deport foreign criminals. 

We need to scrap the European Water Framework (EWF) directives that stopped us dredging, embanking and maintaining our rivers; requiring the Environment Agency (EA) to let rivers “re-connect with their flood plains” in “undisturbed natural condition”; “giving rivers more space”; and “to improve habitat of wildlife”! 

To this end the EU made certain no funds are available for dredging and the removal of silts and gravel, considered as hazardous waste, instead, granting huge subsidies to improve wildlife habitats and for building flood defences that do not disturb river beds, some 47 river trusts had since sprung up to take advantage of EU grants. 

Meanwhile, all local river boards with experience of river-dredging were replaced by the Environment Agency (EA) which takes their orders directly from the EU and whose chairman was found wanting, as he enjoyed his holiday in Barbados whilst the severe storms raged over Britain through December 2015 into the New Year. 

The controversial act of the Environment Agency in opening the Foss Barriers to safeguard their pumps, would appear to comply with the EWF Directive, sending raging torrents of mud, silt and water through the streets of beautiful York, flooding 3,500 properties.

But there are no directives for the safety of residents or their premises; mud and silt that should have been dredged to deepen our rivers, had caused billions of pounds worth of damage to homes, businesses, farms and livestock.  

What could David Cameron do with his promise of just £40 million? 

Leaving the EU will save the £12 Billion annual EU fee, plus 73 MEPs' salary, pension & expenses, amounting to several million pounds and George Osborne can afford to abort his austerity measures against police, defence, fire-fighters and Local Councils, who can relax their cut-back on libraries and pensioner care homes, which in turn will stop hospital bed-blogging.  

No need for David Cameron to go cap-in-hand for another round of EU reform when he can boldly announce the UK’s departure for independence.

Published in the Daily Echo 21 January, 2016.