TIME TO QUIT THE EUROPEAN UNION



RALLY AGAINST  LIVE EXPORTS 2011

Until recently I was a strong supporter of the European Union, but not any longer. Apart from the crisis with the Euro and bail outs in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Cyprus which worry me a lot. I am also becoming more and more angry about the  ability of EU laws to force this country to do things its opposed to, especially the cruel export of live farm animals from Ramsgate. Not only do these EU laws render us powerless to stop this awful trade. They also allow the people who organise this trade (some of them convicted criminals) to sue Thanet Council for trying to ensure that the animals were humanely treated. 

Here is a letter I wrote to the Thanet Gazette about this  



 I would like to publically thank MP Laura Sandys for all her hard work campaigning against live animal exports from the Port of Ramsgate. Supported by the RSPCA and Compassion in World Farming, Laura has forced DEFRA to significantly strengthen its animal welfare inspection regime at Ramsgate which hopefully means that no animals unfit to travel will cross the sea from Ramsgate ever again. It’s also encouraging to note that Kent County Council Trading Standards are, at long last, upping their game and prosecuting some of the people involved in the cruel and barbaric trade on our doorstep. Last but not least, I would also like to pay tribute to the hundreds of Thanet people who have put pressure on politicians to force them to take action. Without this fantastic example of “people power”, I doubt whether the great and the good would have taken any notice of the sickening spectacle taking place at our Port.





IAN DRIVER SPEAKING AT LIVE EXPORTS RALLY

But despite these welcome and long overdue changes, the fact remains that this medieval trade continues to be plied from Ramsgate., even though a majority of the public and most animal welfare experts agree that it is both unnecessary and cruel. The main reasons it persists is because of European Union laws which mean that Laura and her parliamentary colleagues are powerless to stop the trade.

BLOODY MASSACRE AT RAMSGATE -  THANKS TO EUROPEAN LAWS

This is why, after being pro-European all of my adult life, I have now decided that I can no longer support the UKs continued membership of the EU. Having witnesses many of the shipments from Ramsgate over the past 18 months, having observed the conditions of the animals and seeing at first hand the events that led up to massacre of more than 40 sheep last September, I can no longer support a political institution that appears to think that the widespread abuse of animals is acceptable.

This does not mean that I am joining UKIP. But is does mean that I will be actively supporting a referendum on leaving the EU and I will be voting to get out. Bring it on!