The depth of anti-EU feeling should not be forgotten

http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2015/may/24/big-issue-europe-referendum

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Will Hutton is right in arguing against Brexit, the repeal of the Human Rights Act etc. But I fear that he is vastly over-optimistic in his political analysis of the way that the government can manage the situation it has created – and in great danger of missing the lessons of the period from the Scottish referendum to the recent general election (“Why Cameron’s victory means Britain won’t be leaving the EU”, Comment).

For at least that period, the inhabitants of the Westminster bubble, along with political analysts and commentators, did not hear what was happening across the country. They believed their own story of how things would turn out and got it seriously wrong. In the case of Europe, there is a depth of “anti” feeling in many parts of the country that may be much more deep-seated, quiet and difficult to shift than Hutton acknowledges. It is an instinctive reaction for many people, which will come to the surface in the ballot booth.

I fear that David Cameron and his allies do not appreciate that the result of the continual stoking of the anti-Europe fires cannot be forgotten through rhetoric about new deals or a sudden appreciation of the benefits of membership, all of which will be perceived as inconsistent and a weak U-turn – and may well be rejected, whatever the arguments presented immediately beforehand.

John Forsyth

Lostwithiel, Cornwall

Will Hutton writes: “If the by-product of the British referendum is... cleaning up the EU’s murky financial procedures so the Court of Auditors can sign off EU accounts, unintentionally Britain will have done the EU a great service.”

I can’t for the life of me see how holding a referendum will lead to the accounts being signed off. This is important to me as it’s the reason I’ll be voting “out” in that referendum.

I’m an accountant and I simply cannot support membership of an organisation whose accounts haven’t been signed off for 19 successive years. For many years, I chaired the finance committee of my parish council and if the district auditor had failed to sign off the parish accounts for just one year, I would have been subject to surcharge and debarred from office. Establishing a proper accounting system for the EU shouldn’t be difficult.

Many of my comrades in the local Labour party disagree with me. They maintain that the cost of EU fraud and corruption is more than offset by benefits in other areas. I disagree, and think that the turning of a blind eye to such swindles is no basis for a civilised society.

Funny thing is, while I voted yes (to stay in) 40 years ago, they were all generally no!

Jeremy Hayes

Snodland, Kent

I am a committed European and Will Hutton makes a plausible case. Unfortunately, he is overlooking one crucial factor about referendums. Generally, voters in a referendum are commenting on the government of the time and not answering the question on the ballot paper.

In two years’ time, this government will be deeply unpopular following the implementation of the cuts foreseen in Chris Riddell’s recent cartoon – the neutering of the BBC, cuts to child benefit and the abandonment of tax credits. Not to mention funding crises in the NHS, education and local government.

David Cameron’s Conservative party, together with its Ukip shock troops, has already made Europe its bogeyman. Off with its head! And to hell with the consequences.

I will be moving to Scotland.

Ian Hankinson 

Poole, Dorset