European Union And The Commonwealth

EDM number 532 in 2002-03, proposed by Andrew Rosindell on 16/01/2003.

That this House recalls 14th January when President de Gaulle of France said 'non' to British membership of the European Economic Community and his comment that Britain would only be ready for membership when it started thinking like a continental country and severed its ties with the Commonwealth; forty years on and with the experience of British membership for thirty years; notes that whilst trade and co-operation between our neighbours on the continent continues to be in our nation's interests, acknowledges that many aspects of membership of today's European Union are to the detriment of the United Kingdom such as the Common Agricultural Policy, Common Fisheries Policy and the tide of bureaucracy lashing against our shores; calls upon her Majesty's Government to strive towards the creation of a new reinvigorated relationship between the United Kingdom and continental Europe that does not involve misguided political or monetary union and restores Britain's right to govern herself, free of interference from Brussels; and further calls for a strengthening of the relationship between the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada that have remained loyal friends to Britain for generations.

This motion has been signed by a total of 11 MPs.