20th March 2012: In his second contribution of yesterday afternoon at the European parliament in Brussels, Andrew Brons spoke during a debate held in the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) on the European Union Budget.

He said:

"In the text approved by the plenary last week, further political and economic integration is presented as the means by which a particular objective - in this case bringing an end to the economic and budgetary crisis - is to be achieved.

"Funnily enough, it is the same remedy that is provided for all ills whatever they might be. Of course, the reality is that further political and economic integration is an end in itself. The economic crisis or any other ostensible objective is simply the pretext - the vehicle - for European integration.

"In fact, political and economic integration is not effective in combating the economic crisis. It will aggravate that crisis.

"A single currency value is highly unlikely to be suitable for seventeen very different economies. It is far too high for the Southern countries and too low for Germany, That does not harm Germany but it does allow it to import employment from the South or, if you like, export unemployment to the South.

"A single interest rate is also unlikely to be suitable for seventeen different economies.

"The adoption of neo-liberal free-trade policies leaves European industry open to attack from the dumping policies of emerging economies, particularly China with its deliberately impoverished work-force and its under-valued currency.

"The report refers to things that the European Union might do for small and medium-sized businesses. In the case of small and micro-businesses, the best regulation that should be provided is none at all. Businesses with a tiny number of employees can be destroyed by employment laws that allow self-evidently vexatious employment cases to last for months, if not years, and to cost thousands before any opportunity to have them struck out."