CONGRATULATIONS to the West Devon and Torridge area of the UK Independence Party for the ?poll shock? it inflicted on the so-called major parties in the European election and especially to their grassroots workers who have beavered away for many years with virtually no recognition ? apart from getting an MEP elected last time round.
How galling to read the standard patronising platitudes from the defeated that it was just a protest vote from people who didn?t understand what it was all about.
It was the stated opinion by the majority of the electorate on the profligate manner in which the EU squanders the £15million net per day which we pour into this fraudulent and corrupt black hole which has recently got considerably bigger.
It is a downright insult to suggest that we are not concerned about the issues of health, education, housing, crime, pensions, jobs, etc. It is just that we know where the money is going that could be paying for the huge costs of dealing with all these urgent matters.
A new political giant is now awake and I predict a sea-change in the next general election that will make Shakespeare?s ?Tempest? appear as a gentle breeze.
Finally, may I quote those infamous weasel words that were included in the Labour Government?s leaflet delivered to every household at the post-entry referendum in 1975:
?No important new policy can be decided in Brussels without the consent of a British minister answerable to a British Government and British Parliament.
And now they have the audacity to say that our entry into this present iniquitous shambles was agreed by referendum!
I rest my case.
Robert W Lloyd
(Not a member of UKIP ? just a very buzzy ?gadfly?)
2 Howard Close
Okehampton
AS your headline last week suggests, the people sent a clear signal by supporting UK Independence Party?s message ?No to the European Union?.
Post-mortems will certainly be carried out within the Labour and Conservative parties. At the moment both party leaders appear to be arrogant in view of the situation. The British electorate have the rights to be listened to.
They have become increasingly aware that £15million net per day of our taxes goes to the European Union. Almost £1million per annum of our council tax money is paid by Devon?s local authorities to partially fund the unelected South West Regional Assembly. Millions of pounds per annum are being transferred from Britain?s education budget into the EU Social and Education Fund. More and more costly EU directives are being imposed on the British tax payers and British businesses.
I think the electorate said, on June 10, let?s use this money to fund amenities in Britain, such as the NHS, education, pensions, social services, roads, etc etc.
UKIP may be a single issue party in European elections, but they have a full manifesto for our Westminster parliamentary elections funded by savings made from withdrawal of the European Union
Dave Weeks
Courtlyns, Exbourne