A while back I commentedon a new political commentary site - ToryHome.com. I must confess I never really visited it much after that first look, although it did introduce me to MyBlogLog (now owned by Yahoo), a useful stats tool for blog authors.
I investigated a few hits on my site today relating to keyword searches for "Tory Home", and the site is now redirecting to "The European Alliance". One to watch, perhaps.
I've never quite arrived at a personal view on Britain's place in Europe. It's clear that the natural inclination of the EU is to gather power to the centre. Here in Bristol we're facing enormous bills for a new recycling policy and landfill taxation that are ultimately derived from European Directives. Rubber-stamping these instruments of supra-national policy comprises 80% of the business of our nominally sovereign parliament, which is something to bear in mind next time you hear MPs asking for a pay rise.
But how to reform Brussels? From without or within?
Leaving the EU is certainly possible and would not be as damaging to our economy as some critics claim. To maintain the status quo the question that must be answered is "For what problem is the European Union a solution?"
On the other hand, when one looks at the history of Britain and the wider Anglosphere one can see that our respect for the diversity of cultures in Europe has always necessitated that we shepherd the other nations. Consider the last couple of centuries:
-
In the 19th century, Britain saved Europe from Napoleon
-
In the early 20th century we saved Europe from Militarism
-
In the mid 20th century we saved Europe from Fascism
-
In the late 20th century we saved Europe from Communism
Perhaps we should acknowledge a moral duty to save Europe from Socialism. Or perhaps we should just tell them where to stick their light bulbs.
I'm still pondering.
