County council’s calls for referendum on EU reach Brussels
County and district councillor for Grantham Ray Wootten travelled to Brussels to hand over a motion calling for a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the EU.
Coun Wootten, who paid for the trip himself, said he fully supports Lincolnshire County Council’s motion urging David Cameron to hold a referendum and believes many in Grantham feel the same way.
Coun Wootten said: “Not since 1975 when I was 22 and voted for a Common Market have the people been given a say in the direction we are being taken by the European Union.
“Central Government is saying it is not an important issue but that’s different to what people are telling me. People are quite shocked at the cost of running the European Parliament.
“As a county councillor I wanted to take this message to Brussels during a private trip.”
Coun Wootten handed over the motion to MEP Emma McClarkin who then presented it to the European Parliament.
Coun Wootten said: “We are pleased to have her support because she is trying to reduce costs and tackle bureaucracy from within.”
Coun Wootten’s trip to Belgium has only succeeded in making him even more sceptical about the benefits of remaining in the EU.
He said: “I was quite shocked at the lack of austerity on display there and the number of expensive limousines around. There seemed to be no expense spared at the European Parliament. I was surprised by the size and scale and the number of people that were there - it was like a town inside a city.”
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Tuesday 21 May 2013
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