Minister says: 'The British public want less Europe and more Britain'

Employment Minister Priti Patel wants Britain to be 'safer and stronger'

Britain's future will be in the hands of millions of voters in the forthcoming referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union. In a matter of weeks, the British public will unleash the greatest show of democracy the EU has ever seen.

For 41 years, the British public have been denied a referendum on Europe, and their say on the powers and money that Brussels has taken from us. They now have the chance to hold its undemocratic and unaccountable institutions to account by voting to leave the EU.

I believe we can only safeguard Britain’s future by once again becoming a genuinely sovereign country, with British laws being made in the British Parliament in the interests of the British people.

The British public want less Europe and more Britain. The British public want our political leaders to say ‘No’ to the unaccountable federalist European agenda which has led to the widespread failures of the European Union we face today.

By restoring the British values of democracy and self-determination which date back to the Magna Carta, Britain will be a stronger, more secure and more prosperous country. If the public vote for Britain to once again be a sovereign and independent country, British laws will once again be made in the British Parliament and accountable to the British people.

In practice, this means that this country will be in control of its own destiny.

Remaining in the EU will mean Britain will continue to be subjected to the supremacy of EU law and the European Court of Justice. The EU will still hold the final say where there are disputes and it will still be able to overrule decisions made in the UK. Unelected and unaccountable judges and bureaucrats will still have the power to meddle in our laws and decision-making.

We should be left in no doubt that by staying in the EU, nothing will change as no significant powers or competences have been returned to Britain. The European Commission and Court will still have the powers to interfere in our way of life.

Now is the time to show the EU that the British public cannot be treated like fools. We can see through the spin, propaganda, and abuses of taxpayers’ money for endless self-serving vanity projects that are not in our democratic, economic or national interest.

But there is a better way. Following a vote to leave, Britain will be able to untangle the labyrinth of EU laws and regulations that have held our country back.

We will be free to make our own laws and to negotiate a fair and new trade deal with Europe that defends our interests. Alongside a new UK-EU partnership based on free trade and friendly co-operation, we will be able to reach out to our friends in the Commonwealth, the US and other emerging markets.

From left, John Whittingdale, Theresa Villiers, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Iain Duncan Smith and Priti Patel at the launch of the Vote Leave campaign

Our international voice will once again be heard in its own right on international bodies such as the World Trade Organisation. Free from the protectionist and anti- market sentiments of some in Europe, we will be able to seek and secure new trading opportunities.

This will enhance our position as a major global power. British businesses strangled by billions of pounds worth of red tape and regulations being imposed on them by Brussels will also be better off by Britain leaving the EU.

The damage that a number of EU measures are causing to this country’s businesses is blindingly obvious. At a time when economic growth and job creation are so important, regulation and red tape emanating from Brussels is costing businesses and families billions of pounds.

By restoring our sovereignty and powers in these areas, we can set sensible policies that support businesses and free them to invest in jobs and growth. Leaving the European Union will also mean that Britain will once again be able to decide how our taxes are spent. Importantly, we will no longer have to pay a massive membership subscription fee to Brussels.

We can see through propaganda and abuses

Just think of the services we could pay for, new infrastructure we could built and taxes that could be cut with that money. Instead of sending £350 million a week to Brussels for the EU to waste on its over-bloated bureaucracy, inefficient and ineffective projects and its self-promoting propaganda machine, the money could be reinvested here in Britain. Our money will be spend on our priorities. Our country has paid a high price and our sovereignty has been undermined. We have Europe meddling in our affairs, taking billions of pounds from the hard-pressed British taxpayer.

From Land’s End to John O’Groats, an independent Britain would be able to use its taxpayers’ money to invest in its own infrastructure and development projects.

National Government, the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and local councils empowered through devolution and localism would be able to set their priorities for investment and receive funds more directly.

We will no longer have to go to EU bureaucrats with a begging bowl to seek permission to spend our money on regional infrastructure and development projects.

An independent and sovereign Britain will be able to control our borders once again. This means that we can introduce the tough measures needed to limit immigration and access to our benefits and welfare system.

By controlling our borders without interference from Brussels we can also protect ourselves from dangerous foreign criminals and terrorists. A Britain free from the EU is a safer, more secure country.

From left, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Priti Patel, Iain Duncan Smith and John Whittingdale attend the launch of the Vote Leave campaign

The EU’s proposed emergency brake mechanism does not go far enough to restore the level of control that we need to exercise over our borders.

Moreover, the EU Commission and Court will ultimately pass judgement on their use and not the British Parliament.

The control that we need, and that the public expects, can only be achieved by leaving the European Union. Britain deserves strong borders and a robust welfare system for Britain that’s made in Britain.

Those who are campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU have sought to frighten the public about this country’s ability to stand on its own two feet. We have heard the same people who campaigned for the UK to become a member of the Euro say we should remain.

We no longer have to go to the EU with a begging bowl

The same people who opposed a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty say we should remain. And the same people who would sign the UK up to any deal, surrender more power to Brussels and give up the rebate are saying we should remain. They were wrong in the past and their judgment is flawed again.

By scaremongering the public and trying to frighten them to vote to remain, they are talking down our economic prospects and have no confidence in the ingenuity and entrepreneurialism that is vibrant and dynamic across the country.

Being free from the European Union means that Britain can look forward with confidence as a strong, independent and sovereign nation. We will be free from the shackles of the EU’s institutions and its army of unaccountable bureaucrats and judges meddling in our affairs.