A YEAR ago I was elected as the first Liberal Democrat MEP for the North West of England. Since then I have learnt a lot about how the European Union works in practice, and, as a legislator, I have had more opportunity and success in amending (and I hope improving) new laws than I ever did during the time I spent as an MP at Westminster.
I seem to live in two worlds. One actually exists; politicians from across Europe working together to try and tackle problems their countries share in common. The other is the one I read about in some of our national newspapers, in which the European Union is depicted as all evil Superstate and in which Britain is always the victim. It is a travesty of the truth.
People here have a healthy disrespect for politicians and government institutions be they in Westminster or in Brussels.
The majority who criticise the European Union have fair points to make and genuine concerns which deserve good explanations or action for change. But after a year of debating the issues in the columns of local newspapers and at public meetings around the North West, I have come to the conclusion that a significant minority of Europe's critics are a bunch of complete NUTTERS!
How else can you describe those who write and tell me that the EU is part of a 'Vatican plot', or a 'Jewish conspiracy', or the final ambition of Germany to rule the world? How do you have a sensible discussion with people who describe the European Commission in the language of Revelations, as 666, the Great Beast, seeking to destroy the world? What should be my response to those who twist every truth, and who see bad intent even in acts intended to protect people from harm and strengthen their legal rights?
If the European Union was so terrible, the democratically elected governments of 15 nations would not be part of it, and there would not be a queue of other countries trying to join. But there is no arguing with these people. They shout loud, and, like members of a weird religious sect, are convinced that only they are right. They are a burden to be borne by all who want rational debate about our future in Europe.
Chris Davies
Liberal Democrat MEP for the North West
Castle Street
Stockport
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