As I have said before, it does not matter a jot who gains the most seats in next month’s Euro elections. MEPs have very little influence over EU policy. They will certainly not be in a position to derail any of the key policies proposed by the Eurocrats. The only way any meaningful reform that benefits UK voters will come about is by measures taken in the UK Parliament.
I should not worry too much about UKIP’s (or any other party’s) manifesto, robofluff. All government policies adversely affect people to a greater or lesser degree. Most of them revolve around taking money from people and squandering it. Governments are not the best people to devise policies on things they know little about, but unfortunately the ego of many Ministers and MPs leads them to believe otherwise. In any case, a manifesto means very little. It’s simply an invitation to get you to vote for the representative of the party you dislike the least. Most parties have not the slightest intention of fulfilling their promises. Circumstances are always unforeseen or different once they gain power.
The problem here in the UK is that none of the three main parties have any intention to alter the country’s relationship with Europe. Whatever is said many people are extremely unhappy with the current situation. The cost of EU membership is enormous; the bureaucracy it generates is stifling business, many of them having no dealings in Europe but who are nonetheless compelled to comply with all EU regulations; many of the directives spewing forth from Brussels have no bearing on trade but seem simply designed to control and coerce. The biggest problem of all is free movement of people. The UK is under enormous pressure from a growing population: education, healthcare, housing; transport are all over stretched. There is not a cat in hell’s chance of this policy being restricted. After the single currency it is seen as the crowning glory of the European Project. The rip roaring success of the euro amply demonstrates why the Euromaniacs will not countenance any restriction on their second most successful act of lunacy.
The LibDems are avowed supporters of Europe. Whatever it does, whatever it proposes, is just fine and dandy with them. Nothing could be better than a Federal Europe and those standing in its way must be swiftly destroyed. The Labour Party is little different though it makes noises to suggest that it has the best interests of the UK electorate at heart. Mr Cameron talks of renegotiating our relationship with the EU. He might as well try renegotiating the time that the sun will rise tomorrow; but worse than that he knows it.
The main parties have only themselves to blame if any of them lose votes to UKIP. Yes, they are a party light on policy but the main parties are light on the one policy that troubles many people. They have ignored people’s concerns about the EU and dismissed dissenters as cranks, racists and “Little Englanders”. Next May will tell whether they have bandied their insults around too freely.