The origins of the European Movement
The origins of the European Movement lie in the aftermath of the Second World War. More than eight hundred delegates from across Europe gathered in The Hague in May 1948, under the chairmanship of Sir Winston Churchill, to create a new international movement to unite Europe and prevent further wars between its members. The British section of the European Movement was founded a year later.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the European Movement put forward the arguments for joining the European Economic Community, and it ran a major campaign in the early 1970s, both among the general public and in parliament, to win the battle for entry. In 1975, during the referendum on membership, the European Movement played a central role in the YES campaign. Other campaigns since then have included pressing for direct elections to the European Parliament in the 1970s and promoting the benefits of the single market in the run-up to 1992.
During the 1990s, the organisation became revitalised around the need to create a new national pro-European coalition. The rise in anti-European feeling threatens to undermine Britain's place in the European Union; our exclusion from the first wave of countries joining the euro is an example of how we lose out when the pro-European case is not put strongly enough in public.
Aims and activities
The European Movement is
- A rallying point: The European Movement rallies all those who believe that European unity is vital where the peoples of Europe have interests in common such as increased trade to improve economic prosperity, an improved environment to tackle climate change, and action to combat global poverty. A politically united Europe is needed to sweep aside the petty tribalism that has historically, at the very least, been an obstacle to progress or, at its worst, has led to bitter conflict and a catastrophic loss of human life. Europe must be united as a region of law, justice and democracy, equipped with the institutions capable of achieving these ends. Members receive a regular newsletter, euromove, with information and news about Pro-European developments. In addition, the office publishes updates on campaign ideas and issues an e-mail newsletter, e-News. Members take part in lively discussions in person and online, and the European Movement maintains an informative website.
- A campaign: The Movement has since its creation in 1948 sought to build and maintain public support for the unity of Europe. In the face of a backward-looking nationalist resurgence in some quarters, this role is as vital as ever. The campaigns include public information points, working with the media, and lobbying MPs and other decision-makers. In addition to the work of the London office, the branches and national councils organise campaign activities in their own areas, as well as political discussions and social events for members.
- A pressure group: The creation of the European Union has been an extraordinary achievement - democratic, sovereign states have created a common institutional framework in order to forge a future together based on the rule of law. But the European Movement is not the Union's information service or an apologist for its weaknesses. It must work to win support for the reforms necessary to improve its ability to meet the hopes and aspirations of its peoples.
Contact
Southbank House, Black Prince Road, London W3 7NS
www.euromove.org.uk
emoffice@euromove.org.uk
Tel: 0203 176 0543
Farage got an encouragingly rough reception from the Welsh audience on Question Time last night.
Thank goodness Jerzy Buzek didn’t cut off Farage’s microphone, as some people have suggested he should have done. To have Farage bleating about denial of the right to free speech would have been a bit too much to bear!
I am so glad I am not Belgian and was not the at the butt end of Mr Farage’s public reprimand of the existence of mr Van Rompuy.
What does the audience of Question Time and us the BBC viewers make of this? Quite simply that he is a fascist of the old fashioned Italian variety and puts his view of the world first.
England first; and dangerous romantic ideas that flow from that very narrow concept. I am so glad he got the reaction he did!
You vote for UKIP you get what you deserve…
Truly embarrassing to be British right now.
Farage and his allies have themselves been criticised in terms no less abusive than those he used of Van Rompuy. Van Rompuy is, of course, standing now as a symbol of the EU: that’s what he was appointed for. He’s being paid a king’s ransom for the (non-)job, and if he finds he doesn’t like it, I’m sure there’ll be no shortage of volunteers to take it over from him. We’ll try our very best to keep the personal separate from the political, but how are those of us who hate the EU to avoid hating him?
Farage also slandered Belgium. That was xenophobic. I’m a member of UKIP, and I was ashamed of that. To any Belgians who happen to read this: I’m happy and grateful to live in your country, and I apologise for what Nigel Farage said.
I wouldn’t be quite so disparaging about Farage’s attack. Quite rightly, he highlighted the fact that Europe is undemocratic. It has taken over powers that we have never granted it. We all know what would happen if there were to be a vote on the EU in Britain, and it is disingenuous to pretend otherwise. Europe is a non-country. Whoever the old man may be that Farage rightly lambasted, he doesn’t represent me, or anyone else until the litmus paper of democratic election has been tested. So, Euro-apologists, why not ask your Brussels friends if they have the courage to insist on a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, here and in (say) France and Denmark, if not every single nation that is caught in this undemocratic spider’s web? You won’t, of course, because you know you’ll lose.
Who is Nigel Farage? A superannuated spiv!
Farage is a thououghly distateful person who continues to drag this country into the gutter with his widely disseminated views. Why does the BBC continue to give the oxygen of publicity to such wretched extremists such as Griffin and now Farage? Chasing ratings perhaps?
WAS NIGEL RUDE?
note: It’s worth watching if you want to know what’s behind Nigel’s and William’s strong words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVXmZ9pWpJA
Was he rude? I think not when you consider these people (the Commission and bureaurats are usurpers and have no right to be where they are).
Anyway people were much more scathing in our Westminster Parliament, The first lady MP to take her seat at Westminster, Nancy (later Lady) Astor, accused Churchill of being drunk. Churchill replied to the effect, yes I am drunk, but tomorrow I shall be sober, you madam, are ugly today and tomorrow you will still be ugly.
Personally, I don’t think you can be rude enough to these scoundrels considering what they have done to us and intend to continue doing to us.
Comments please.
dave
Farage compared Van Rompuy to a bank clerk. To his very great credit he has now apologised to bank clerks for the slur.
Vote UKIP.
It is perfectly understandable that Farage will be loved and loathed. Yes his attack on Van Rompuy was rude and vulgar. This is the deliberate tactic of Mr Farage because it attracts the media and the ordinary peoples interest.
He achieved his goal and turned the spotlight on an institution that far too many Europeans actually know nothing about! The European Council has had an extremely easy ride as far as checks and audits are concerned. The professional lifestyle of those empowered in this institution is akin to a Russian oligach who operates with the blessing of the leader, providing he always say’s yes! The Brussels oligachs are out of control and have nobody to reign them back in. Farage is attacking from within and deliberately enjoying himself at the tax payers expense. That way he may annoy taxpaying Europeans enough to make them realize that the money he is spending, their money, is being misused and abused by the out of control oligarchs driving the Brussels Juggernaught.
I just feel sad that people like Farage and the UKIP don’t understand thet we ARE Europeans, we do belong to a European Union, and that this is a Good Thing- for security, for trade, for peace, for understanding of each others foibles. We should not survive for long outside the EU…. Queen Victoria is not on the throne now and our empire has long since vanished!
I say thank God for Nigel Farage. At least he tells it as it is!
Its all very nice to be English, fair, gentlemanly, with your brains stuck up your ****, but these things certainly do not work, just look hard at the circumstances we have solely created ourselves, try hard to be realistic, try very hard to be honest, try to project yourselves out of yourself and look at the realistic situation this country is in, look from an unbiased point of observation, try not to fool yourself from past world events, the world has changed and unfortunately not for the better, our country has not got any smaller but we are a small country, and we should not be attempting to try to play a leading role in running the world, we should use our energy to promote our country into being a better place to live, which would involve facing up to the reality of the real world. I am sick and tired of the excuses made for the foolish activities and behaviour of the people who are responsible for being accountable for the running our country, these same people should be ejected from their jobs and held responsibly for their actions. Look carefully at the past 10years, you will see that almost everything that has been done has been detrimental to our country, I am unable to go into each and every case as there are so many of them, it amounts to at least one each and every day and is so unbelievable, from the pressures created by the EU, to our own foolish decisions, and if anyone of our elected representatives should have the guts to object, its probably the end of their career, one way or another. The war to which we shamelessly bombed the country of Iraq killing thousands of innocent women and children protested by thousands of British people totally ignored.The gold we had sold for peanuts for no good reason,The raid on millions of pounds of our pensions funds, all wasted, silly nonsense laws past by the people we elected to look after us, not to mention the vast amount of foreigners that are unnecessary to the workings of our country,which will ultimately bring our country to a standstill. We desperately need to consider an alternative government that is prepared to work in the best interests of the people of this country, I am confident that the only man in this country that has the ability to get us back on the right lines is a member of UKIP called Nigel Farage, a very good speaker you should go on the internet and read Mr Farage Speeches on EU, He actually has a backbone, and an attitude of being earnest and sincere, something that most politicians desperately lack in our interests. Think about it you know it makes sense. Good luck, Good health, and if you can please help our country. Ron
Nigel Farage is a hero! Most politicians are spineless shills who follow the flow. Not Nigel! Please don’t give up the fight for a free Europe! Thumbs up from Norway!
Nigel is more right than you’d like to admit. Im from Norway and my country is not technically a part of EU, still we get screwed over by EU’s rules and the people are not allowed to say its opinion.. Recently we got Data retention directive shoved up our bottom even though probably more than 70-80% of the norwegian population were against it!
EU is looking more and more like a facist state.. US too sadly. It seems like a handful powerful people are making this mess on purpose, when on same time taking away peoples freedom to object and starting heavy surveillance of the people.
Hitler would love EU