The European Project will continue unabated

Editor,

Oh look, plans for a European army are still alive and well and this time being promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Funny that since I distinctly recall Nick Clegg firmly stating during a televised debate with Nigel Farage in 2014 that the idea of an EU army was “a dangerous fantasy” when it was mooted by Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU Commission.

Mr Clegg has since disappeared from the political landscape and maybe we’ll never know whether he really thought it was a fantasy or was just trying to avert opposition to the idea.

But meanwhile Macron has called for a ‘real European army’ to defend against Russia and the USA and defence ministers from nine countries from the bloc have had their first meeting to discuss how it would operate.

And as free as ever with taxpayers’ money the EU is set to expand its defence budget from 2021allocating £11.3bn over seven years - particularly staggering when compared to the current budget of £523m.

The European Project will continue unabated - thank heavens without us - and an army, as always secretly intended, will be established.

It will be fascinating to see what particular marching style this new fighting force adopts.

Paul Nuttall

North West MEP

UK Independence Party

The views expressed are those of the author of the letter and not those of Oldham Chronicle.