EU needs us more

Both world wars were not started by a “clash of nation states” but by the ambition of Germany to dominate Europe. In Hitler’s case, to unify what he saw as the Germanic people and create what he referred to as Germania. Prior to that, it was the Kaiser. Earlier, Napoleon aimed to spread French influence across Europe.

I viewed the creation of the Common Market as a realistic and welcome move towards co-operation and free trade in Europe. The Maastricht Treaty, however, was a cynical hijacking by a power-hungry bureaucracy to turn it into a vast federation.

Mr Inman’s own expressions of “self-serving Eurocrats of Brussels” and “flawed and bumbling institutions of the EU” acknowledge the potential.

Germany pulls the strings of the EU and the current man-oeuvring of Macron as Merkel loses influence should give pause to any notion it is the EU that is preventing another war.

With some reservation, I supported Brexit (I didn’t get a vote). But given the recent attitude of those Eurocrats to the UK vote to leave, the fixation that they must prevail against the democratic choice of the Brits, I am now firmly for Brexit and, adding in other current stresses, suggest the disintegration of the EU may not be long delayed.

I am reminded of a conversation I had recently with a French neighbour. Discussing Brexit, he said at one point “don’t leave us”. I initially assumed he meant “don’t Brexit”. Further discussion clarified he meant “be around when the EU goes pear-shaped”.

Our government has made a total mess of negotiations. The EU have ensured they would prevail. We are just at the beginning of an emotive and difficult period, however this plays out.

David Homewood, by email