Ann Widdicombe

There was a referendum before we entered the EU and 67% voted to do so.

The Common Market may only have reached the free trade lvel by 1975 but the intention to turn it into a European Union it is now, was quite explicit in the earliest agreements among the first 6 members and was certainly explicit in 1975. I was well aware that the the intention was for the EEC to become a federation of member states at that time. It was hoped and intended that such a federation would stop further wars between Western European nations and hopefully other European countries would follow suit.

In the 75 years before 1945 there were three major wars between the Western European countries. In the 75 years since there have been none.

An appalling speech by a dreadful woman, but what worries me is that she may have been articulating what many Leavers actually thought.

There was a referendum before we entered the EU and 67% voted to do so.

Slightly wrong there, MOnica (though I agree with your conclusion). We voted in 1975 on whether to remain in the EEC. We'd already joined in 1973.

Widdicome is just a rabble rousing demagogue. Her rant was purely for the benefit of the rabble she she's helping Farage to rouse. She was always a deeply unpleasant politician.

What utter nonsense to portray our membership of the EU as 'slavery'; the UK has always been a key member with a strong voice. She is probably perfectly aware of this but whipping up hysteria is far more fun than telling the truth...

Actually grumppa when you read some of the dreadful, embarrassing posts on here you realise that Widdicombe is articulating what many think. It is beyond belief just how much crap people will take, just what disgraceful behaviour they will tolerate in the name of what is fast becoming a cult. Every day I think it can't get any worse, and every day it does. Not only do we see the appalling behaviour of our so called representatives in the EU, we also have to read the sycophantic posts on here from the faithful. It is like when America elected Trump; I wasn't so much bothered about him, more that there were enough people who thought he was great and voted for him. This is how I feel about the charlatan Farage and the vile Widdicombe; these ghastly people do not exist in a vacuum. Collective madness, all of it

Maizie, you are right, I didn't check my facts. I thought I remembered.

grumppa I'm sure a lot of Leavers do feel the same as AW- witness some of the posts praising her, in this thread.
Even if I believed we'd be better off out of the EU, I'd be stunned by her rudeness, as I expect most MEPs were.

Yes, I bet she appealed to a certain type of person. Yuk!

Anyone on here within Widdecombe European constituency willing to admit to voting for her? Anyone?

The lady on Newsnight tonight just made mincemeat of Widdecombe.

How embarrassing!

We joined the EU in 1973 under PM Ted Heath. The first referendum took place in 1975 under PM Harold Wilson.
Just thought I’d put a couple of posters right about the facts.

Which couple of posters would that be, maddyone?

Pity politicians hadn't anything better to do than create referendums etc. which do nothing but get people's backs up. Can't any of them run a country without causing mayhem in every corner of the globe ?
This latest EU debacle will do nothing to serve us as citizens and the only ones who'll benefit will be those brass-necked individuals who sit in Westminster.

C'mon, what have any of them done this last 3 years ?? Are any of them fit for purpose ? AW is proof of the bilge that they spout. They couldn't work in convulsions !!

Love the image of slavery the silly woman portrayed.

What about the women she insisted remained shackled when giving birth?. But I guess they had indulged in that nasty thing called sex and perhaps they weren’t even married, so deserved to be treated thus.
The spam belongs to the medieval period.

maddyone
We didn't join the eu in 1973. The eu came about through the Maarstrict treaty in 1992.

Spam??.?? woman!!

Splitting hairs

All I can say is thank the heavens most people on here do not support this ugly hearted woman and the awful awful man who started this party I can’t bear to say their names

gillt57 you said it for me ( better than I could put it) in your answer to *grumppa

Over 70 years of peace and friendship with Europe is at jeopardy because of a few unhinged individuals

I was told Anne Widdicome was one of the MPs who helped push the pension bill through in the early 90s and helped sweep it under the carpet. I think women should work the same as men but we should have been informed at the time not 15 years later. Horrible women.

Honestly such hyperbole on here. Anyone would think peace in Europe was under threat because of Brexit! Get a grip.

We are leaving the EU but we will still be in Europe.

And I stick up for all of us who voted Leave. I resent being called a ‘certain type of person - yuk’.

Disgraceful just because we have differing views and the referendum didn’t go the way Remainers expected!

She was right in what she said. The EU is a government in all but name. It has all the powers, resources and trappings of the state from a legislature and an executive, to its own courts, central bank and soon a military.

Over three years ago, the British people voted in a referendum to remove any democratic mandate for the EU to exercise governance over its people or territories, and yet it is still inside and forced to participate in its Parliament and obey its edicts.

Yesterday, we saw yet another example of its fake democracy with the backroom dealings to appoint unelected people to top political offices with zero public consultation or consent. Yes, AW put her case forcibly and displayed anger, and she had every right to do so.

Petra, you are of course completely correct. Prior to the EU it was the EEC and the massive change from EEC to EU is what eventually led to the 2016 referendum, due to many people being unhappy at the way the EU was developing ie ‘ever closer closer union.’ PM John Major signed us up to the EU in 1992 without a referendum as it was thought the British people would not accept the aims of the EU. Subsequently it has been shown by the 2016 referendum that indeed a majority of the British do not support ‘ever closer union.’

Unhinged is right, BlueBelle.

Urmstongran, I’m not surprised you don’t like being called ‘a certain type of person.’
How rude it is to speak to another Gransnetter in that way, presumably simply because the poster doesn’t agree with your views.

Petra, it’s EU, not Eu.