Allister opposes EU Citizenship and taxation in 50th speech in Parliament

16 January 2006

Since his aversion to ever-increasing centralisation in Europe has been a recurrent theme for Jim Allister since elected to the European Parliament 18 months ago, it was fitting that this issue lay at the heart of his 50th speech to the Parliament, delivered today.

Speaking on a report promoting EU citizenship, the DUP MEP said:-

"The notion of EU citizenship is a synthetic concoction, not a natural product.  Citizenship belongs to nation states.  It is not something to be purloined by the EU, in its desperate scramble for internal and external credibility, after the humiliating rejection of the unwanted Constitution.

What is being promoted here is a phoney and empty contrivance, designed to bring statehood to Europe.  The proposal reaches its most ludicrous and unacceptable when it embraces progressively financing the EU by direct EU taxation.  If the proponents of EU citizenship think they will make the EU more loved and wanted by promoting direct Brussels taxation, then happily, they are even more out of touch with national feeling than I thought. 

Foolish reports like this do more to assist Euro-scepticism than anything else I know so, on that score, I suppose, I should say let's have more of them!"

EU Parliament