THE DANGER OF ABANDONING PRINCIPLE
WHEN DEFENDING THE POUND

Dateline: 5th January 2002

The Times editorial 4th January 2002 claimed that the Single European Currency, the Euro, can only be defeated with a coalition between those who say on principle No and those who say, with no principle at all, not yet.

Since a majority of the voters already say no and a very considerable majority, when confronted with the constitutional truth about the Euro, will say no there is no pragmatic reason to trim and compromise the “No campaign” (or the “Yes to the Pound and democratic sovereignty campaign” as most would surely call it).

Even the best and most popular cause can be undermined by an uncertain call on the trumpet. Combining those who agree with stages one and two of the abolition of the Pound (i.e. the British commitment at Maastricht) with those who on democratic principle reject the entire monetary-imperialist scheme is a recipe for disaster.

It is a classic technique to persuade one’s opponent that he will have a better chance of winning the argument if he does not take “an extreme position” – by which of course is meant a principled position! Once a principled argument has been compromised, there remains no principle to argue and the cause is lost.

Yours etc

Rodney E.B. Atkinson