John Baron MP: Freedom to govern ourselves has not been secured

MP slams No 10’s ‘security’ argument – suggesting it could spend EU contributions on defence

Over the weekend, the Prime Minister unveiled the final version of the EU renegotiation agreement, which describes the relationship between Britain and the EU if the electorate chooses to remain a member of the EU in the forthcoming referendum. The Prime Minister had to seek agreement from each of the EU’s other 27 national leaders.

However, many are concerned that the Prime Minister’s reforms are largely symbolic, and do little to address Britain’s longstanding grievances with the EU. In particular, there is no progress on restoring Parliamentary sovereignty, something which goes to the heart of our relationship with the EU. As a result, and in order to restore Parliamentary sovereignty, John Baron MP will be campaigning to leave the EU.

John said,

“Given we now know the details, I will be voting for the UK to leave the EU. Having led the campaign in the last Parliament for a referendum in this, I had hoped for a meaningful renegotiation which addressed the central issue of ‘sovereignty’. Instead, we have tinkered at the edges, and our freedom to govern ourselves has not been guaranteed.”

“The sovereignty ‘red card’ would resemble a football ref having to get 15 other officials to agree with him before any action were taken. Meanwhile, the so-called ’emergency brake’ on benefits is clearly being controlled by an EU back-seat driver. Our Parliament remains unable, by itself, to stop unwanted EU taxes or laws. The 23rd June date shows No 10 gave up on the renegotiation – it could have been delayed until more was achieved.”

“No 10’s ‘security’ argument is shabby – our membership of NATO and seat at the UN’s top table is a far greater guarantee of our security than an EU which has proved a shambles in its dealings with the Syrian refugees, in part caused by its own underfunding of the refugee camps and misguided immigration policy. If security were a real concern, No 10 would spend more on defence – funded from our annual £10bn net contribution to the EU.”

“The choice for the British people is therefore very clear: we either leave the EU and thrive outside whilst saving ourselves £10bn a year, part of which could be given to each household, or we remain on the escalator towards ever closer union – unable to guarantee the supremacy of our laws, the integrity of our borders, or the freedom to regulate ourselves.”

Ends
Word Count: 401
Date: 22nd February 2016

Notes to Editors:

• In 2012, John organised two letters to the Prime Minister, signed by 100 Conservative MPs, calling for referendum legislation to be placed on the Statute Book in the last Parliament for an in/out referendum in this Parliament. This helped persuade David Cameron to promise an in/out vote in his Bloomberg Speech in January 2013.
• John then tabled an amendment to the Queen’s Speech in May 2013, regretting the absence of referendum legislation in the Government’s agenda.
• Though the amendment was defeated, it was supported by 115 Conservative MPs. This persuaded the Prime Minister to go down the Private Member’s Bill route and, when this was twice defeated by Labour and Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians, to place it at the centre of the 2015 Conservative manifesto at the General Election.