Nadine Dorries’ monthly column: Why I won’t be whipped over the EU referendum

THIS week my post bag has been bulging with constituents writing in or emailing asking me to support the vote last night for an EU referendum.

Regular readers of this column will know that I needed no encouragement.

I am firm in my belief that the people of this country deserve their say on the power hungry behemoth that is the EU. The Common Market that we joined in 1973 was an economic creation that served Britain’s best interests.

The EU as currently constructed is a political beast drawing ever more influence and control across the Channel to Brussels. Last night, many of my colleagues argued for the repatriation of power back from the EU to the UK. I argued for the repatriation of our money.

We send £29million per day to Europe. That is around £870million per month and, over the next four years, the figure is predicted to be £41billion. We are implementing severe cuts to pay down the deficit whilst we give cash lump sums to countries like Greece in order to prop up their economies.

The people in Greece are rioting in the streets because they know that we give them vast sums of money and think that their own government doesn’t need to cut back because we British suckers give them all they need anyway!

The whip’s antics at the vote on Monday reminded me of the story from history when the Bishops were locked in the cupboard during the reign of Elizabeth I. It really wasn’t far off that as the atmosphere became pretty tense. Nothing much has changed in 400 years.

I understand that David Cameron’s first priority at the moment is dealing with the budget deficit we inherited from the last Labour government. However, I still regret his excessive use of the three-line whip on this issue.

I have never doubted David when he says that he is a ‘pragmatic Eurosceptic’. I utterly reject the assertion made by some of my correspondents this week that he is as pro-Europe as Tony Blair.

I believe that the people of this country deserve a say on the EU and a large majority of my constituents agree. Sorry Prime Minister, you are not going to ‘whip me’ against this one.