tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66947399207485734742024-02-07T09:30:51.318+00:00Eurosceptic VoicePutting forward the simple argument that the UK should leave the European Union and instead have a simple free trade deal.Effy Hughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00410586807469058723noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694739920748573474.post-78354775638168068892008-12-10T08:07:00.006+00:002008-12-10T08:32:45.558+00:00Will Libertas steer clear of the UK?On the eve of Declan Ganley announcing the transformation of his anti-Lisbon Treaty pressure group Libertas into a new pan-European party, the <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1210/1228849742220.html">press</a> are giving the impression that Ganley has scaled back what was rumoured to be his original idea of contesting the European Elections in virtually all EU member states. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnUCiYEtX1-mMVSrc5HSGPrkH1RqTz-TUw4uzD8YQUcEQV25_KOAQI4aD0XpE1GEX4xOaWoxfXJC_nkvuZ5Ner-wwVwG-Se3Y6mqFTisxvBYloh_mUq-z8vrEJxCZjfkuxL2Tb4Phcazz/s1600-h/evganley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278071670826435650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnUCiYEtX1-mMVSrc5HSGPrkH1RqTz-TUw4uzD8YQUcEQV25_KOAQI4aD0XpE1GEX4xOaWoxfXJC_nkvuZ5Ner-wwVwG-Se3Y6mqFTisxvBYloh_mUq-z8vrEJxCZjfkuxL2Tb4Phcazz/s400/evganley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Though of course the article may not be 100% accurate, the fact that it only names six countries in which Libertas is likely to be competing in is <strong>good.</strong><br /><br />Ganley may have come across as something of a eurosceptic - and I am greatful for his funding towards the "no" campaign in Ireland - but the fact remains that he is still fully fledged supporter of the European Union. And the worrying danger always was that Libertas would seek to run a well funded campaign in the UK which would diminish votes from the only true eurosceptic cause in Britain, the UK Independence Party. <strong>That would have been very bad news indeed for the eurosceptic cause.</strong><br /><p>Libertas seem to have reached deals with MEP's like Frenchman Phillip de Villiers and Dane Jens Peter-Bonde - both of whom have parties currently aligned with UKIP in the Independence and Democracy group. It seems likely that Libertas, if successful, will seek to form a anti-Lisbon parliamentary grouping in the next European Parliament. That will probably lead to the break-up of the IndDem group and would most likely leave UKIP's MEP's as Non-Attatched. If that is what it takes for Lisbon to be stopped in its tracks and for the subject of the EU to once again be put across as a relevant and important subject to the people of Europe, <strong>then I am willing to accept this as a consequence.</strong></p><p>The one big remaining threat that Ganley poses against the eurosceptic side is a potential deal with the British Conservatives, which would include an endorsement and plus funding. An anti-Lisbon ticket in the UK between the two would make sense and could perhaps give David Cameron an in to the new European parliamentary grouping he has supposedly been after. </p><p>How many more times does it need to be said? <strong>The EU is an in or out debate.</strong> <strong>The Conservatives are as useless as Labour.</strong> The Tories might make slightly different noises - but this current leadership has <strong>no appetite for fighting for the retrieval of Britain's democracy - and neither does Declan Ganley.</strong></p>Effy Hughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00410586807469058723noreply@blogger.com3