Articles and Speeches

Freedom & Control
23-Mar-04, Berkshire Supper Club, Hall Place.

"Tonight I will speak about our civil liberties

I will talk about freedom and control

Freedom and control of our own lives

Freedom and control of our economy and

Freedom and control of our nation

I have chosen to speak about control

Because this Labour Government, has done all it can, to erode our freedoms

and thereby our ability to control our own lives, our economy and our nation

Now I may be wrong

but I believe, this will be the issue, over which, the next election is fought

The campaign issue may be taxation, but the underlying issue is about our freedom to choose what we do with our own money.

First, our personal freedoms

Our freedom and control comes from the choices we are able to make

If we can choose what we do with our time, we have control of our time

If we can choose how we spend our money, we have control of our money and

If we can choose which hospitals we’re treated at, we have control of our health

I believe that in a democracy the purpose of politicians, the Government and its institutions

Is to protect people from external threat

So that, as far as possible in a civilised society, we can enjoy our lives as we choose

This is the very essence of a civilised society

30 years ago, Lady Thatcher achieved a successful shift, to a national sense of self-determination, a shift to the right

But this Government are determined to take these choices from us, So control of own lives is taken away from us And given to the Government

Let me give some examples

When you’re filling in a lengthy and complex tax credit or benefits claim form, this government is taking your time

When over half your earnings are paying Labour tax rises, this government is taking away your money

And when you are being told you must go to a particular GP and you must join the waiting list for a particular NHS hospital, then this government is controlling your health

Now the curious thing is, it doesn’t matter about your particular political persuasion

All people want control of their lives

People are happier when controlling their lives and

The economy and society benefits

Wealth creation, through enterprise, is a result of the choices we make,

Because some people will naturally choose to create businesses, to trade and take risks

Others will choose to work for them, and to support these businesses

Second. The control of our economy

It is successful British businesses that create the jobs, incomes, and of course, the taxes that generate a good standard of living for everyone

Taxes pay for education, healthcare, transport and, lest we forget, our politicians salaries

These resources are generated by businesses

Government departments are consumers

They spend the resources business generates

When the environment gets tough for business, this has a knock on affect for everything else

The Economy is the environment in which business thrives or dies.

The key ingredient is an ‘appropriate’ interest rate.

The amount I pay for borrowing money, and the amount our customers pay to borrow money

It is a real cost

For the last 12 years the interest rate has been the one major tool that has kept our economic environment stable for business

We have enough trouble setting the right interest rate between the North & South, between manufacturing & service industries.

So the idea that a ECB could set a single European interest rate that would be more appropriate for Britain is, quite frankly, illogical.

To lock our interest rate to those in the rest of Europe

Is like trying to weld two lifts together when they’re travelling in different directions… there is bound to be a disaster.

Joining the euro is about giving up our freedom to control our interest rates, and therefore your economic environment.

Again, it does not matter about our political views

it is clear that the Economic environment in Britain has been good for business

• Growth rate higher than the Eurozone for 12 years

• We have half the unemployment rate of the euro-zone!

• One of the most stable environments in the Euro zone.

• Inward Investment higher than France/Germany combined over 6 years

Now sorry to sound a bit simplistic but

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

If it’s working, don’t change it and above all

If it’s doing well for us, then re-enforce it

But this Government seems determined to hand over control of our economy to a Eurozone in disarray

The euro is not a people led project

The euro is not a business led project and

The euro is not an economically led project

It is a political project driven by our political elite who want to give up the freedom and control or our economy, to Europe

Third. The freedom and control of our nation

A Government's primary responsibility is the defence of the nation from external threat.

As Conservatives, we believe in strong defence of the British people

But this reckless Government fails to defend our national freedoms so many ways.

At home, there has been a huge rise in violent crime on our streets

They are failing to defend British people in their homes and on the streets because they have lost control of violent crime and anti-social behaviour

And worse, they punish people who attempt to defend themselves

This Government is in the process of breaking up our nation by creating devolved parliaments and regional assemblies

These measures remove the control of our Parliament over the regions

They are failing to defend the historic unity of our united kingdom

And what of the House of Lords? We will all have varying view, but I believe they have committed an act of vandalism on the British Constitution

When Scottish MPs can vote on English laws but not vica versa, it means they have given control of English lawmaking to the Scottish.  It cannot be right.

There has been a vast increase in the number illegal immigrants in our country

They have been unable to control our boarders and then seek to cover up with tragedies like Morecombe Bay that arise as a result

They are failing to defend our boarders

And perhaps the worst crime of all,

This Government want us to sign up to the new EU constitution

It is a constitution that over-rides the freedom and control we enjoy over our own law making

It is wrong

We do not elect a Government to give away our freedoms

We elect a Government to defend our freedoms

They are failing to defend the powers, that have served us so well for over many centuries

In closing

The definition of democracy is people power

Governments have eroded our power over the centuries

This current Labour Government continues to do so at an alarming pace

This Government is undermining our personal freedoms and control

This Government is undermining our economic freedom and control

This Government is undermining our national freedom and control

I was born British and, I am proud to be British

I want you to be free, to live your own British dream

I am determined you have control of your lives,

I am determined that we have control of our economy

I am determined that the British people have control of their nation

I therefore ask all of you to do all you can to elect the next Conservative Government under Michael Howard

This is the only way I know that we can win back control of our lives, protect our economy and defend our great nation

Don’t let these vandals continue to wreck our great nation

Thank you"