Toby on Tuesday 

“Out of the EU Into the World.”

 

This week I thought that I’d take a rest from Greece’s endless trauma and write instead about something far more positive – old friendships and especially UKIP friendships. Now on life’s journey we are never blessed with more than a handful of close friends, but that makes us value them still more. And I have been very lucky for a large part of my life in having a completely trusted old friend, during good times and bad, in William Dartmouth, MEP for the South-West and Gibraltar, UKIP’s Trade Spokesman and Coordinator for the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group on the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee.

Our friendship started in the 1960’s at university, with all its political and other dramas. A close family friendship followed and we then both stood for Parliament as Conservatives. What really cemented our friendship in the 1980’s was a shared perception that the Euro-project was taking Britain in a direction that could ultimately destroy it and since then, in our own ways, we have sought to prevent this. During William Hague’s leadership of the Conservative Party, I as his Constituency Chairman in Richmond and William as an active Conservative peer in the pre-reform House of Lords, were both part of the successful campaign to keep Britain out of the deeply flawed single currency project. And we spotted David Cameron a mile off when he became Conservative leader, both joining UKIP in late 2006/early 2007. In 2009, William was elected as MEP for his home region in the South-West.

Now in his second term, William has always concentrated on his trade portfolio, which is his great interest. He has wisely sought to live on excellent terms with everyone in the Party on the old premise that, if you can’t find something good to say about someone, don’t say anything. And his energy has been directed first at serving his constituents, particularly over the European Arrest Warrant and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and second on campaigning for a Britain once more open to the world. Last year he published his 90-page report, “Out of the EU Into the World.” His case that “the UK does not need to be in a political union in order to trade and other inconvenient truths” was set out with absolute clarity and consistency, providing an invaluable resource in the run-up to May’s General Election.

And William has just completed his “The Truth About Trade Beyond the EU”. This spells out “the reasons why we would not be leaving any markets when we leave the EU.” An abridged version of this will soon be circulated throughout UKIP’s branches as part of our campaign for a “No” vote in the EU referendum when it finally comes. Again, it will be an invaluable piece of research and contains vital arguments in support of our cause. It also underscores the fact that the most valuable members of our party are often those who are the least demonstrative, but instead work away patiently and quietly for UKIP. Their role is to expose the great truths for which we are fighting in the face of the mendacity and ruthlessness of those in the three old parties who wish at all costs to promote themselves by destroying our country. But with the support of UKIP members across the regions our friends at the forefront of our party like William will prevail, as indeed we all will!

Until next Tuesday!
Toby