Toby on Tuesday 

“God Rest EU Merry Gentlemen…”

 

One of the many pleasures of living in Thirsk and Malton is the presence of the ancient Benedictine foundation of Ampleforth. With its Abbey and school, Ampleforth is a force for good at the heart of the constituency. Although a fairly traditional Anglican, I always value my Roman Catholic friends’ belief in the sanctity of human life and the integrity of the family.

Like our beloved Queen, Pope Francis of Rome is concerned not with the short term fashions of the moment, but rather with the enduring truths that govern all our lives. And Christmas is the season to reflect on these truths. So when Pope Francis visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg last month, his words should have been taken to heart by all who heard him.

What he said was, “In recent years, as the EU has expanded, there has been growing mistrust on the part of citizens towards institutions considered to be aloof, engaged in laying down rules perceived as insensitive to individual peoples, if not downright harmful…In many quarters we encounter a general impression of weariness and ageing, of a Europe that is now a ‘grandmother’, no longer fertile and vibrant. As a result, the great ideas that once inspired Europe seem to have lost their attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its institutions…somewhat elderly and haggard…with a rather selfish lifestyle marked by an opulence that is no longer sustainable and which is frequently indifferent to the world around us…a conception of unity seen as uniformity that strikes at…the democratic system.”

What the good Pope was saying was that the idealism on which the European project had once been based was being replaced by something more sinister, more aggressive and more ideological. UKIP would support every single word of his address. My own hope is that Britain’s looming departure from the whole malign EU project will act as a catalyst, a wake-up call that will bring the nations of Europe to their senses and usher in a better Europe based on open trade and mutual respect between the different cultures in which the true strength of the whole Continent lies.

A very happy Christmas to you all!

Toby