The EU Referendum and Disillusionment with David Cameron

These are relatively difficult times for the Government of the United Kingdom, as numerous questions have been raised over the values and moral integrity of the country's leadership. The recent budget caused controversy with plans to cut disability benefits (while still allowing relatively generous benefits to remain for elderly voters, regardless of whether they need the money or not....). Meanwhile, the Prime Minister himself, David Cameron, has been called a hypocrite, for having criticised companies and wealthy individuals for relocating their wealth overseas to avoid paying UK taxes; now it has been revealed that Mr Cameron is also a beneficiary of tax avoidance. Whilst it's a disappointing reality to hear that celebrities do this (which Mr Cameron has highlighted in the past), when a leading politician- particularly the Prime Minister- is found to be doing so, it is another level. This is worsened when you recall the occasions when he has criticised the immorality of others for avoiding tax... whilst knowing all the time that he had himself likewise benefitted from this practice.

Another reason for my disappointment with this Government is how it has allowed taxpayers' money to be used to pay for leaflets that are totally biased in favour of remaining within the EU, with regards to the upcoming referendum on the issue. As has been said by others, if the leaflets fairly represented both views on this debate, it would have been acceptable- but to just give one, biased perspective is unfair and undemocratic. The Government seems to take the view that their actions are necessary to present the case for what they see as the fundamentally right answer to a very important question. But this answer is only correct from their point of view. By this same logic, couldn't we also say that a Conservative Government (or any government) should have the automatic right to use taxpayers' money to fund their own election campaigns, seeing as only they offer the fundamentally right method of leading the country? We would never allow this, and the Government's conduct with this leaflet was likewise the wrong thing to do. I am nevertheless grateful that a referendum is being held on this issue, in response to strong public concern with EU membership, as suggested by the strong support shown for the UK Independence Party in the 2015 general election. There is also a lot of time before he next election for this Government to try to redeem itself.

Nevertheless, the greatest failing (and what I am most disappointed with by far) is the Government's total failure with regards to immigration. Although we have consistently seen levels of net migration to the UK in the hundreds of thousands of people since the Blair Government of the 1990s, I thought that a Conservative-majority Government (as opposed to the previous Coalition, where policies in this area were likely to be watered-down by their Liberal Democrat coalition partners) would bring this under control again. Whilst EU immigration is largely out of their hands, they could have compensated for this by taking greater control of Non-EU immigration, where a majority of migration (albeit a slim one) tends to stem from. But they haven't. In fact, they have overseen record-high levels during their first year in power without the Liberal Democrats.

It is primarily this issue which drives me to vote to leave the EU- this in spite of the fact that, economically, I think we are better off in than out (due to the easing of trade and accessibility to goods across the continent membership allows) and is beneficial to our global influence (strengthening our position within all three crucial areas of British foreign policy: the "special relationship" with the United States, the Commonwealth, and of course Europe), while a vote to leave may well also lead to the breakup of the United Kingdom (as the other constituent nations of the UK, which include Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, tend to be more pro-European). But of greatest concern to me, and of greatest potential impact on my life personally, is the impact of hundreds of thousands of people annually arriving in this country (and largely in my region of the country), meaning that property prices get further out of reach, medical care and education are put under greater strain and are less accessible, basic resources such as water are more stretched (which probably explains why water meters are being rolled out, when there were previously no limits on this), travel becomes more difficult due to overburdened public transport and more congested roads. All of this amounts to an avoidable deterioration in the quality of life for the average person, not fortified by wealth. In the wake of the migrant crisis, with many migrants trying to resettle into Europe for a better life, some left-wingers have declared that our moral duty is to allow them to settle here in the UK in larger numbers. However, we have seen the consequences of this in continental Europe, where this left-wing idealism has led to the stimulation and strenghtening of far right political parties and movements- something I really don't want to happen in the UK too!

My fear is that the status quo will be allowed to continue, and wonder how much it will take before drastic changes are made. I also worry that, in the unlikely event that the UK does vote to leave the EU, the Government will, in exchange for a new trading relationship with the EU, agree to free movement of people from the EU to the UK- giving us the worst of virtually all worlds! This is my cynical point of view, but I hope that a more positive outcome can be reached instead

Why I'm leaning towards voting out of the EU...

It is expected that the UK will hold its referendum on EU membership later this year. The focus of the national news so far in relation to this has been on Prime Minister David Cameron's diplomatic manoeuvres to obtain support for reforms; an effort to make EU membership more palatable to the British public, who have indicated that they are not happy with the status quo. However, it appears that Mr Cameron has seemingly achieved the most that he is going to get out of these efforts- and if anything these agreements could be watered down by other EU member states come the referendum.

There are few years where those campaigning to remain within the EU are going to face a greater struggle: a time when a migrant crisis has shaken the borderless Schengen Area and led to European states resurrecting their borders to try to stop the deluge of hundreds of thousands of people arriving; and this while the economic toil of the past 8 years or so looms in the background and has greatly tested the Eurozone. While Britons will largely be relieved that they are outside the Schengen Area and Eurozone, there seems to be momentum behind pulling even further away from our European neighbours. Even Angela Merkel's Germany, once seen as a responsible European leader and rational and reasonable partner for Britain in Europe, now appears to have taken a great misstep by allowing a million migrants into their country- with the substantial undermining of Merkel's credibility after such a lengthy term of office reminiscient of Margaret Thatcher's downfall after the adoption of the poll tax. The difference being that Mrs Thatcher's poll tax was easier to revoke and overcome, and will have fewer long-term consequences...

I am of the school of thought that the EU can be a largely positive force, encouraging and enabling cooperation in many respects, with the European Parliament providing some much-needed, directly-elected representation. However, the imposition of laws on member states, whether they want it or not, has tainted the organisation. But for me, my greatest concern (expressed in previous posts) is with the free flow of the population- exacerbated by the migrant crisis. Already, under a Government supposedly hostile to mass migration, record-breaking levels of net migration have nevertheless been achieved, and a flow of hundreds of thousands of people to the UK every year is having a great impact- particularly in London and the Home Counties, which are already very densely populated. Issues ranging from the cost and availability of housing, of enough school places, of sufficient access to healthcare, of ample water supplies, of overstretched transport infrastructure (both public transport and for private vehicles), and so on, stem from the excessive population that shows no sign of abating.

I still struggle to understand why the Government has not taken more drastic steps to restrict the immigration that it can control: from outside the EU. Seeing as it has not done this, and shows little intention of doing so in the future; voting to leave the EU seems to be the only way myself and other ordinary Britons can take action to try and inhibit the relentless inflow of people into this country.

I am mindful of the damage to UK manufacturing this could do, the impact on Britain's international influence, and even to the integrity of the UK itself (with the constituent nations of the UK beside England generally more pro-European)- but these are broader issues that, frankly, do not tend to affect my day-to-day life; whereas excessive migration will have a greater and greater impact if allowed to continue. And so, it is with reluctance, that I currently feel obliged to vote leave.

Royal Roundup: 2015

My intention is for this to be an annual feature of this blog. As a monarchist, with particular interest in the monarchies of Europe, I review the goings on of not only the existing monarchies of Europe, but those that have been dissolved in modern times and have strong candidates for these now vacant thrones. 100 years ago, almost all Europeans were ruled by monarchs, and had been for many centuries, so played a major role in European culture. Just as today's European Union advocates unity in its diversity, Europe's monarchs have been the personification of their respective, diverse countries- whilst their shared blood from centuries of intermarriage evidence the unity between European countries and their royals. I found my below updates on that wonderful, free source of knowledge: Wikipedia.

The countries' royals annually reviewed are as follows, with the key developments over the year outlined afterwards:

Existing hereditary monarchies: Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Spain, Monaco.

Former monarchies: Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France.

2015

- Seven years after experiencing a severe car crash, since which he had made intermittent progress but ultimately fell back into a coma, Prince Kardam, who would have been heir to the Bulgarian throne, dies due to a lung infection whilst in a coma. This means that his son, Prince Boris, has succeeded him as heir to the current claimant to the Bulgarian throne, the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria.

- The Bulgarian Orthodox Church states that it will from now on always recognise and refer to the former Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria as “King of Bulgaria”.

- King Harald V of Norway becomes the world’s first reigning monarch to visit Antarctica, when he goes to the Norwegian dependency, Queen Maud Land.

- The former King Michael of Romania has removed the right of his grandson, Nicholas, to call himself Prince of Romania; seen by some as an attempt to strengthen the anticipated continuation of the former King Michael's claim to the defunct Romana throne by his eldest daughter and heir, Crown Princess Margarita.

- An opinion poll in the Serbian newspaper, Blic, shows 49.8% of Serbs would support a restoration of the Monarchy under a prospective King Alexander II of Serbia, with 44.6% against.
 

- King Felipe VI of Spain announces he will cut his salary by 20%.

- Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain & Northern Ireland becomes the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and longest-reigning queen regnant in world history.