Why does the UK hate the EU so much?

Something in UK politics has really started to bother me. Not that it’s any of my business being Irish and all that, but why do they hate being in the EU so much?

It all started for me when I watched their European election coverage on the BBC. I was shocked that the people of the UK have turned so Euro-sceptic - and they even voted the BNP in, two seats in the north-west of England went to Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons. Racists in the European parliament? Well, okay, open racists in the European Parliament? What is the once Great British Empire becoming?

But really, looking back over their history in the EU and their history over the last few hundred years, it really shouldn’t come as a shock that Great Britain acts as if it is above the European Union. They are a nation that has become accustomed to being a world power. With their power dwindling over the last hundred years, and becoming the Watson to the USA’s Sherlock Holmes, bless them, the Brits need to feel big to feel good.

Where else can they go to get that sense of power back apart from the EU? Iraq? Afghanistan? I don’t think so. That was Tony Blair’s ever so clever Thatcher-esque move to insert them into an easily winnable conflict to drum up some national pride and get the people behind him. It didn’t quite work out that way for him, with the WMDs never existing and the dossiers being sexed up and the soldiers dying but shove that to the side, he got that historic third term did he not? (Rory Bremner as Michael Howard – gold)

So now, what to do? Yes, yes, pick on the EU. Sure, that’s just full of countries that they have beaten lots of times in wars of the years, of course they can throw their weight around. The Germans and the French won’t do anything. Rule Britannia!

Labour has remained pro-Europe through the stream of nationalistic Europe bashing, to their credit, but the Tories and a host of far-right nobodies have jumped on the bandwagon with fervour. David Cameron, the Prime Minister until Brown’s time runs out, has called Margaret Thatcher Britain’s “best ever peacetime Prime Minister”. Let’s hope he doesn’t adopt similar ignorant and petulant policies for Europe when his time comes next year.

The fact is, the people of the UK, mostly England, need to feel superior to other countries to feel good about themselves. This is not a knock on British people, I am very fond of British people, but it is true. When was the last time that they won a proper war that meant something by themselves? If you say the Falklands, you have earned a slap.

You would have to go about a century back to find their last personal triumph. They needed the help of the US in World War I, the US and the Soviets in World War II and since then it’s been mostly trying to legitimize US foreign policy or fighting for small islands off Argentina that they have no right in owning.

So if you can’t do it with guns and bullets, do it with mouths and whines. They refused the euro, they loved us here in Ireland when we said ‘no’ to Lisbon, then put us on their list of enemies when we voted ‘yes’ a year later. All the while, the key word has been sovereignty.

Sovereignty. ‘The people of the EU need to respect Great Britain’s sovereignty.’ It’s extremely irritating when this is used. They don’t want to adopt the euro because of their sovereignty. So, you don’t want the ECB controlling your financial interests? Fair enough, but say that, don’t keep saying sovereignty like a broken record.

I am from Ireland. Since we joined the EU, our country has benefited more than any from the schemes of the EU and the development it has brought. Granted, we ballsed it up ourselves recently and we’re sliding back to where we were, but being in the EU has solidified us more than being on our own ever could. The UK is different. They are about a dozen times the size of Ireland in terms of people, and are a true world power. But, they need to realize that the British Empire no longer exists and it is the 21st century.

Wake up ye Brits and embrace Europe! We’re all in this together. It’s our continent after all.

Unfortunately, I can see Mr. Cameron trying to emulate his iron idol for the betterment of his polling figures, and to the overall detriment of his country and his continent in the next few years.