Donald and Edward, together 100 years of opposition to the European project

A report of the CIB public meeting appeared in the French publication Trans-Europe Extremes. Please see below for a translation of the report.

Donald Martin, Honorary President of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, 26 April 2014, London

They are 76 and 70 respectively and have devoted almost the same number of years struggling against the European project. Donald Martin, Honorary President of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, a cross-party lobby centred on opposition to the European Union, and Edward Spalton, its Honorary Secretary, were on their best behaviour for the annual reunion of their organisation. One month prior to the European election, UKIP, “the only party intending to exit the EU, and the party for which they will be voting, is on its way towards capturing a third of British voters.”We interview these two Euroscrptic veterans.

“The road to tyranny and bureaucracy”

When Donald Martin appears there is a respectful whisper: “Remember: he has been opposed to the EU since 1956.”

“Without this cause I would never have met my wife,” the main speaker begins. He makes a tender glance at Mrs Jane Martin, who conscientiously ticks off the names of the arriving members. Since 1956, “a year before the Treaty of Rome”, Donald Martin has not liked this European project, against which he published a short brochure which is still on sale with the recommended reading in the lobby.

“Even during my adolescence I was always against centralised power, which always ends up being tyrannical,” he explains, and elaborates: “Power engenders corruption, so absolute power brings absolute corruption.” Leaning on a simple wooden walking-stick, he reckons that he has never been wrong since. “Every day Brussels imposes itself a little more on the road to tyranny and bureaucracy,” he insists, with a large NO inscribed amongst the EU flag on his tie.

In a few weeks he will vote for the candidates of Nigel Farage ’s party. “He is the only one who offers us an alternative, namely leaving the EU.” He accepts that the press, including an investigation by The Times, threw a few “rotten eggs” to reveal that the UKIP Leader receives

£15,500 (€19,000) from Brussels every year to finance his MEP’s Party office, whereas it costs only€4,000; “but many others are much worth off,” he sighs, regretting that he cannot think of a single example. He suffers from advanced age and Parkinson’s disease.

“UKIP – the healthy surprise”

Edward Spalton, Honorary Secretary of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, 26 April 2014, in London

“The EU can no longer advance behind a mask. Everyone can now see clearly that is is a superstate” With a glass of white wine in one hand and a fattening roll and sugar in the other, Edward Spalton takes a sip. “UKIP is in the process of changing the situation; it is threatening the other parties,” he smiles below his silver hair, his small grey eyes sparkling.

In 1973 he was deluded. “The idea of economic freedom was quite a pleasing one. He was then involved in negotiating primary foodstuffs; but he does not understand why “we still needed to break off our long-standing relations with the Commonwealth in order to treat the other member states as privileged. He therefore voted “no” to Britain’s entry into the Common Market and has been fighting ever since everything that comes from Brussels. “The EU is like the Roman Catholic Church: either you take all of it, or you don’t join it,” says this former Anglican who became Orthodox, partly “because the Church of England became so Europhile.”

With a British flag on his burgundy tie and a second badge in the lapel of his jacket, he was a longtime member of UKIP, “because it was necessary to convert people from every party”. “The EU has turned our Government into a fraud,” he resumes, “and our MPs are stunned every time they realise just how many powers they have abandoned to Brussels”; and he hopes that UKIP will provoke “a healthy surprise” amongst the three usual parties. “I hope their sheep-like politicians will be thrown from their seats when the message gets to them!”