NEWSLETTER No. 3 - 22 September 2006

THE FIGHT IS ON TO PROTECT VITAL SERVICES

Two issues of great importance to local communities have been hitting the headlines recently - the threat of hospital closures and of the reduction in the number of post offices, especially in rural areas.

Both these issues have a European dimension - a fact which, naturally, our politicians would prefer was kept from the public eye.

Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) - which many people believe are a back door route to the privatization of the NHS - are a process forced upon us by EU tendering laws under the so-called 'single market'. The horrendous cost of EU membership - even without the current Government's surrendering of the UK rebate - in any case reduces the amount available for spending on domestic services.

Meanwhile, the EU has created a 'universal postal service' which lays down the tariffs and regulations under which national postal services - including our own Royal Mail - are required to operate. And there's precious little the UK government can do about it: another power handed needlessly over to Brussels.

Campaign for an Independent Britain has recently published a new leaflet outlining the connection between NHS cuts and European expenditure. I hope you will be able to use this leaflet in local demonstrations and events against hospital closures and other cuts to essential services. Please visit http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/tuc for more information on how you can order and use this leaflet.

For details of the EU connection to postal services, please visit http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/campaign/c05s1.html

A 'thank you' to all those who took part in the 'email the Treasury' virtual demonstration mentioned in my last e-newsletter. The Treasury got so many emails that their server crashed several times during the day!

Lastly, if you haven't already done so, please consider joining our campaign! There are details at our website, http://www.cibhq.co.uk. We need your support!

Thank you

LORD STODDART OF SWINDON

Chairman, Campaign for an Independent Britain

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USEFUL LINKS

Campaign for an Independent Britain: http://www.cibhq.co.uk

Campaigning website: http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/campaign

General facts about Britain and the EU: http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk

Postal services campaign: http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/campaign/c05s1.html

NHS information and leaflet order line: http://www.eurosceptic.org.uk/tuc

To UNSUBSCRIBE from further mailings, please send an email with the single word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to: info@eurosceptic.org.uk

CIB Head Office

 81 Ashmole Street

 London SW8 1NF

 Tel: 020 8340 0314

 Fax: 020 7582 7021

 Email: info@cibhq.co.uk

Lord Stoddart regrets that owning to pressure of work on the campaign it may not be possible to reply to individual enquiries.