On the 5th June 1975, the British people went to the polls to cast their vote on our membership of the European Economic Community. The public voted overwhelmingly to stay in, recognising the benefits membership brought with investment and jobs. Yet this train we stepped aboard in 1975 has taken us to a place unrecognisable from the promised destination. Free trade has been diluted by the slavery of overregulation, economic union has become political union and our Parliament, once sovereign, is now emasculated by Brussels. It is a disgrace that in 37 years, the British people have never had a say.
After 13,747 days of watching the creep of Europe's control over our day to day lives, we have got our referendum. The British people will get their say under a Conservative Government. As one of the 81 MPs who voted for a referendum in 2011, I could not welcome this more and I find Labour's opposition to an EU referendum baffling. I am a natural eurosceptic: if the vote was held tomorrow, I would vote to leave. Yet ask me the same in 1975 and I would have almost certainly have campaigned to stay in.
I am wholly supportive of the principle of the 'European Economic Community' – the single market of trading nations where businesses are free to trade without hindrance – it is of great benefit to the British economy. Indeed, since 2004, Britain has been the destination for one in five of all investments in Europe and our neighbours are our biggest export market. This principle of free trade is something worth trying to protect. That is why I support David Cameron's commitment to renegotiate the terms of our membership before the referendum.
If we can build a Europe built on our five key principles, then the public may decide it is worth staying put. A Europe that is competitive, with the single market not political union at its heart; that has flexibility, allowing member states to look after their own interests; that allows power to flow back to member states, so that we can regain control of key parts of our lives; that is accountable, so that national parliaments, not the European Parliament, play the main role; and a Europe that is fair and works in the interests of all its members.
If we cannot get back key powers over things like immigration and restore sovereignty to our own Parliament then I personally would vote to leave, but that is just my opinion. The important thing is, it is no longer the opinions of Government MPs that matter, but the opinion of every single British citizen. It is up to the public and the public alone. It should never have been any other way.
