Alistair McConnachie (below) proposes the SANE alternative to the EU. This article originally appeared in the October 2000 issue of Sovereignty.

We advocate that the British Parliament pass an Act which repeals the previous Acts of Parliament which bind us into the EU treaties, and which will decree that the institutions of the EU no longer have any authority in this realm. To all intents and purposes that is what leaving the EU would require. To make the political case which will enable us to achieve this we need to promote an alternative direction for Britain in the world once she has been freed from the shackles of European Union, and an alternative relationship for all the nations of Europe. This article addresses the latter.

THE IMPORTANCE OF "THE VISION THING"
People always ask, "Well, what's the alternative to the EU?" It is a fact that, when arguing politically, "the alternative" is always going to be a factor in the debate - and you need to have one that you can explain, and name.

This remains the case, even though the relationship that one would, ideally, like to see as an alternative may not be politically possible today, or even tomorrow.

Having an alternative vision for a new European relationship helps to demonstrate that we have a concern not only for our own country but also for the wider European good; and that our concerns for the future of the United Kingdom are grounded in a concern for all the nations of Europe.

An alternative vision for a future relationship between the nations of Europe helps to reassure those voters who fear "leaving the EU" means being "isolated".

It demonstrates that we have a positive vision which is actively for a new European relationship, and not simply against the present one.

It allows us to set the agenda: To work actively for a new dispensation instead of simply reacting against the present.

It allows us to inspire people with a vision of what can be.

It forces the advocates of the present system onto the defensive. They are forced to explain their own vision and in so doing, their centralised, anti-sovereignty, anti-democratic, anti-nation ideas are exposed.

Quite simply, it is essential to articulate an alternative vision for a future European relationship. That vision must be grounded in fundamental principles which point the way to a new Europe.

An alternative relationship is SANE: Sovereign Association for the Nations of Europe.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ASSOCIATION AND A UNION
Some people will point to other international agreements, and will erroneously claim that this country has already established the principle that international bodies should have a say over our government.

However, to the extent that our membership of other international agreements does not commit us to adopt a specific policy or action against our will, and allows us to count ourselves out of any policy or action, then the relationship is different.

This is not the case with our membership of the EU. If we choose not to participate in an EU policy then we break our conditions of membership. So long as we want to remain a member, we are compelled to obey everything, regardless of how damaging it may be to our own specific interests. We are not free to pick and choose. The European Union is a political union rather than simply an agreement to associate.

We want a relationship where we maintain full sovereignty in association.

EUROPE NEEDS POLITICAL ASSOCIATION, NOT POLITICAL UNION
The premise for the future relationship of the European nations must be sovereign self-determination for all. It follows from that premise that the future relationship between the nations of Europe should be one of association, rather than union.

In those areas where it makes sense to operate within a commonly established framework; for example, in certain aspects of intra-Europe trade, the environment, crime, and travel, we must ensure each country is able to achieve the benefits of association, rather than being compelled to always comply with everything - often against its own best interests - because it is tied into a political union.

The Tories are presently promoting the fiction that we can "reform" the EU into something which will give us the option to choose what we want to obey and what we want to reject. This is impossible. The EU cannot ever be "reformed" in this manner.

A SANE Policy can only be promoted by the country which leaves the EU and shows the new way by its own good example.

THE SANE PRINCIPLES
The following is an attempt to develop a logical, consistent and coherent set of fundamental principles for a future European relationship.

• The founding principle of SANE is sovereign self-determination for each nation-state in Europe. Sovereign self-determination recognises, and demands, that:

• The nation-state is a fundamental organising principle in politics.

In contrast, the aim of the European Union is the destruction of the nation-state. The EU is against the whole idea of nation-states. It wants to promote a giant United States of Europe with one policy, one law and one economy, for all.

• A sovereign nation-state is one whose governing institutions exercise full and exclusive political, economic and legal authority within its territory and in its relations with the world; and is not subject to a higher political and economic authority, in a higher legal order.

In contrast, the EU is already exercising legal authority over Britain and would exercise full authority if enough people shifted the focus of their political activity, identity and allegiance to the EU, and accepted it as the reigning legitimate order.

• A representative parliament is the expression of a pre-existing unity among a people; giving expression to their sense of national identity, and providing a focus for their national allegiance.

In contrast, the EU "parliament" does not represent a nation but an attempt to impose a common unity, identity and allegiance upon the peoples of Europe. It would acquire representative status only if a majority of people accepted the political, economic and legal pretensions of the EU.

• A nation-state's laws represent Truths indigenous to the historic experience, customs, beliefs, culture and material circumstance of its people, and these laws must be created in a parliament representative of its people, and exercised in courts, answerable solely to its people and their representatives.

In contrast, not one of the European Union's laws was created by a representative parliament in Britain. These laws often represent an assault upon our cultures. The EU's "Court of Justice" is a political "court". It exists to assert the primacy and maintain the dominance of EU "law" over national law, in order to further the political objectives of the EU. Cases are not resolved in a spirit of justice but are determined in an attitude of political expediency.

• A nation-state must possess the ability and authority to trade with whom it chooses.

In contrast, the EU has the power, as the unsubstantiated beef scare proved, to close our markets, prevent us selling, and bring any British industry to its knees.

• A nation-state must possess the ability and authority to determine control of its economy and its currency.

In contrast, the EU's single currency will mean a single bank in Frankfurt controlling a single one-size-fits-all economic policy for every single country in the EU. This single bank will exercise ultimate control over every single aspect of our lives.

• A nation-state must possess the ability and authority to determine control of its frontiers.

In contrast, the EU intends to scrap all border controls and dictate our immigration and asylum policy.

• A nation-state must possess the ability and authority to determine its foreign and defence policies.

In contrast, the EU, under Article J of the Maastricht Treaty (1992), forbids any nation to pursue independent foreign and defence policies.

• Good government is in accord with these principles; and governs within a representative parliament.

THE SANE ALTERNATIVE
Association founded on SANE Principles points the way to a new European relationship, which would provide:

• New structures where sovereign nations will agree to co-operate but do not have to give up the political, economic and legal sovereignty that allows them to respond to their own particular needs and shape their own unique identities.

• New structures that will facilitate dialogue and co-operation between associates, especially in areas of mutual interest, but which will not enforce political, legal and economic policy, or compel the individual nation-states of Europe to follow policies which are against their own specific interests.

• New structures which allow nations to agree to disagree without sanctions being imposed.

• New structures which will ensure every associate nation maintains the sovereign right to determine its own policies, make its own laws, keep its own currency and control its own economy, in response to its own needs.

• New structures which value democracy and diversity, rather than a United States of Europe that enforces a rigid conformity.

A EUROPE OF NATIONS, NOT A NATION OF EUROPE
We want a Europe of friendly, diverse, co-operating sovereign nations which are free to develop their own policies, make their own laws, keep their own currencies, run their own economies, and trade in friendship with whom they choose.

We want to get out of the EU, get back into the real world again, keep the pound forever, keep democratic control of the economy, and by our own good example, show the way to a new Europe built upon democracy, diversity and self-determination for all.

In the face of the corrupt, undemocratic, inefficient, bureaucratic European Union madhouse, the alternative is SANE : Sovereign Association for the Nations of Europe.