I AM grateful to Bryan Gillard (Letters, January 9) for his information on the UN Charter which he explains allows any country the right of self-determination. This is interpreted by our Government as being anyone except England.
The Government has given Scotland and Wales self-government at their request, but has refused requests by the Campaign for an English Parliament for equal status for England, by means of an English parliament with the same rights and power as the Scottish parliament.
The Government, run mostly by Scots, says it will allow England to have a referendum on being split into regions, but will not allow the English to have a referendum on whether or not it would prefer its own parliament.
But they still want the English to pay the Scots £9-billion per year in subsidies so they can have their own parliament, independent of Westminster and England.
English regions will have no powers, but will be subject to the diktats of the Scots at Westminster, Is this what the English people want?
When I brought this subject up before, I asked if our photogenic MP or any of the other parliamentary hopefuls had any opinions on the subject. Apparently not, as none has made any comment.
Neither have any of our councillors, apart from one who claims to have inside information, but is so sure of himself that he did not put his name and address to his letter, nor did he sign it.
I would consider joining UKIP as I believe in a United Kingdom, but what?s the point when threequarters of the UK do not wish to take part ? apart from taking subsidies from the English?
As the Scots would say ?It?s like taking sweeties from a bairn?, so servile are the English.
J W Reid
Limehayes Road
Okehampton
BRYAN Gillard states that UKIP?s only policy is leaving the EU.
For their policies on a range of issues, he can visit http://www.ukip.org">www.ukip.org and download their full manifesto. Of course, withdrawal from the EU is the policy which sets them apart from other moderate political parties - hence their focus on this issue.
As for Britain?s right to leave the EU, this would be removed under article 46 of the draft constitution. Hence Mr. Gillard?s statement is somewhat misleading.
Clearly the British Union has been established far longer than the EU and has genuine similarities (such as a common language). However, UKIP clearly states that it would oppose any attempt to force ?any constitutional change? on the people of Northern Ireland without their full and informed consent, in contrast to other parties? policy on this issue.
As for allowing a member of Great Britain (say Scotland, to take Mr. Gillard?s example), I consider this to be covered under their policy of permitting citizens to call a legally-binding referendum by public petition.
The UK Independence Party is not a single-issue party. It has a policy on all of the main areas of government and provides a much-needed alternative view to the main parties. I would advise Bryan Gillard to consider his facts carefully prior to his next letter.
Jonathan Arnott
THE letter from Bryan Gillard deserves a response from a UKIP MEP to restore some important perspective.
The United Nations is not a government and we subscribe to its principles by treaty or charter, which is to recognise that the government of the day is free to sign such agreements, but is not bound constitutionally to adhere to those principles and can withdraw at any time.
The EU on the other hand, is a putative government by virtue of the fact that it aims to shortly have its own constitution, army, police, legal system etc, and the UK will be bound by its laws as we are at present by its directives, according to our political elite.
Furthermore, we would not realistically be allowed to withdraw from the EU, unless a majority of the other members agreed to it, and they would be holding all our financial assets!
UKIP policy is indeed that the UK should withdraw now before we are irreversibly committed, and use the £20-billion dividend that would arise to control and manage our own affairs for the benefit of our own people..
Those people have been abysmally served by the EU as any farmer, fisherman, coal miner, steelworker, shipyard worker and taxpayer would attest, let alone the planespotters in Greece.
Our fundamental freedoms and liberties are at stake, and are well worth defending by making the politicians submit to the ballot box in the time-honoured tradition of a parliamentary democracy.
What has happened to date regarding the EU is without any constitutional reference to the electorate as implied by the meaning of sovereignty, and cannot be defended.
Graham Booth
UKIP South West MEP