By Andrew England Kerr MEP
We've seen the usual tired old politics.
What I haven't seen is any realisation of the real danger this country faces. Perhaps you have to see it first-hand to understand the true scale of it. I have over the past three weeks.
I've watched the true force of the Franco-German domination of Europe as key positions are divvied out by Europe's political elite over dinner tables and in smoke-filled rooms. It is amusing how quickly the spitzenkandidat process, lauded as a great democratic legitimiser to this whole project was abandoned as soon as it became mildly inconvenient.
Make no mistake. Democracy is in peril if we don't leave by October. It will not only be a further betrayal of the 17.4 million, but this project is going in a direction that is nothing less than dangerous.
Democracy in the EU was abandoned to bring in German defence minister Ursula Von der Leyen as the next Commission President. A woman with the worst track record one could imagine for such a high-ranking position. Under her watch, less than 20% of Germany's helicopters and 30% of their fighter planes are fit for service. Their ships don't sail and their soldiers have even resorted to using broomsticks for rifles.
She is the least popular member of Merkel's cabinet- probably why they fostered her on the rest of Europe.
Don't be fooled though. This woman is a fanatic and we will see her introduce a European Union single army. In Von der Leyen's appointment, we've seen the future of the EU; anti-democratic and militaristic.
Away from the electorates that have tossed them aside, this Commission-graveyard of Europe's politicians is plotting the last transfers of nation-state democracy to Brussels. But leaving in October isn't enough.
With all the discussions on the back-stop, delays in exit, parliamentary process and negotiations this basic fact has gone mostly unnoticed. The longer we stay in this Union the longer our ability to defend ourselves, the most basic expression of sovereignty, is in peril. Under this deal and under this government's policy we will be independent in name only.
Our foreign policy, our military and our defence industry will be so closely tied to the EU it will be impossible to tell one from the other.
They plan for us to still take part in the EU's institutions and in its military control structures- but with no say on policy or direction. We will take orders but no longer shape them. There remains the possibility that our service personnel will be deployed under EU command.
Our defence industry will continue to be integrated into the EU market- putting at risk one of the most vital sectors of our economy and one of the most strategically important. The EU's growing defence industrial policy has been applying its own harness on the UK defence industry and severing the harness currently held by the UK Government. This has happened even more quickly since we voted to Leave and it's time this was reversed.
What kind of independence is that?
The direction of travel is clear. Von der Leyen is the first President of the European Commission to have previously held the defence brief. After five years of her Commission, the EU will be unrecognisable compared to what it is today. She will now spend the Summer building her team and plotting the further expansion of the EU's power at the expense of Europe's nations.
It is imperative we leave on October 31st not just to uphold democracy, but to ensure our security.
So this is my challenge to Boris. Get your house in order, fast. We must leave in October — no excuses. You must reverse the Tories' neglect of our armed forces, and the brave men and women who serve in them. Our country can afford no more bluster, and no more delay.
If you fail, the Brexit Party is ready to do it for you.
Andrew England Kerr is a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party who represents the British West Midlands region
This article first appeared on Breitbart
