Democrat Editorial by John Boyd April-May 1998 (Number 30)
Action and Unity are Imperative
Polls across the European Community show growing antipathy to the vision of Europe and especially of the single currency. A recent poll in Britain conducted for the pro-EU paper the Guardian reported that 61% of people were opposed to a single currency.
Polls
Members of the Campaign against Euro-federalism conducted a poll in York prior to the March ECOFIN meeting and reported around 80% of people questioned were opposed to economic and monetary union. Our experience in handing out leaflets and talking to people on the street and doorstep confirms our formal findings.
Euro-federalists want to reverse this state of affairs and the government is bent on pushing through the single currency
Work forces are threatened and blackmailed by their employers - vote for the single currency or your job goes elsewhere.
People's Europe
The Commonwealth and Foreign Office, the European Commission and the European Parliament are funding an international conference called "People's Europe 98". The "co chairs" of this event will be Baroness Shirley Williams, Mary Kaldor and Jean Monnet of the Sussex European Institute at Sussex University.
Amongst those included in the advisory committee of People's Europe 98 are delegates from Young European Movement, Centre for European Reform, European Commission, Federal Trust, New Times, DEMOS, two MPS and four MEPS including David Martin and Glennys Kinnock.
Education
That is not the end of things or use of our taxes for one sided political purposes. EU indoctrination buses or "Euro-mobiles" are visiting schools in Britain to give an impression to children how wonderful life would be once Britain is fully integrated into the EU and we have a single currency.
Schools and Colleges of further and higher education are being saturated with pro-EC/EU material. Schools have been told to sell the virtues of the single currency. One sided debates take place on "Europe Day" with little or no recognition there is a valid and different point of view.
Education, including further and higher education, should be about opening up minds and making students think and come to their own conclusions after all the arguments are put.
Unity imperative
It is imperative for all forces opposed to economic and monetary union to pool efforts and act together where possible.
There is the possibility the government may call an early general election and spring a referendum on the single currency immediately afterwards. We do not have the luxury of time.
Our colleagues and friends, particularly in Denmark and Norway where there have been successful campaigns, tell us that to win any battle against steps towards European Union requires maximum unity across the political spectrum.