Airstrip One

NAFTA or EU? - 8th January 2003, 21.05

Talk of cleaving to Europe or America should always be viewed as a vote of no confidence in Britain's ability to decide its own interests. However, given the political choices of European centralisation or North American free trade, the latter is the lesser of two evils and contains the potential for greater independence in the future.

In political terms, the choice in the short term may lie between these two particular worldviews of British foreign policy, given the current machinations within the European Convention. As the article, "Preserving Britain's Independence" by Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute in the Washington Post indicates, there is a significant number of figures arguing for this Atlanticist tie.

One should note how independence includes the assumption that Britain will retain its ties to the United States if it were to leave the European Union.

The Atlantic Bridge

The article also mentions that Liam Fox has been dabbling in foreign policy as well as health, popping up in this think tank, the Atlantic Bridge. The four Conservatives involved are Patrick Minford (respected ecolumnomist), Iain Stewart (Deputy Director of the Parliamentary Resources Unit and prospective Tory candidate), and Scott Syfert, (an attorney based in Charlotte Virginia who appears to specialise in space law). Liam Fox's speech, advocating as much Euroscepticism as a Tory minister can possibly advocate, is here.