The Daily Mail, 31 July 2007
Letter to the Editor
Much of the business community is supportive of the UK’s ties with Europe (EU treaty '96 per cent identical' to dropped constitution, 25 July 2007). A walk around the City of London or Canary Wharf bears testimony to the continental influence on the UK economy. Thousands of British business trade with the rest of Europe on a daily basis. Europe is by far our largest trading partner. That is what makes our ties with the rest of Europe so important. If we play it right it can add to our economic growth and our ability to address issues like climate change and energy security. This is not about replacing the nation state, but magnifying the UK’s ability to meet its challenges in the globalized world. That is why so many business leaders support our continuing ties with the rest of Europe, and the proposed European Reform Treaty. If the EU is sometimes criticised for being cumbersome and bureaucratic, the measures in the Treaty will partly address that. The Treaty will also increase the UK’s vote in the European Council by 45%. Business leaders recognise the value of the single market, and of collaborating with our continental partners. The EU can no longer be described as a federalist monster, but has become a union of nation states, with a Commission which has embraced the economic reform agenda.