EUROPE
I have very strong views about Europe.
We’re quite the best country.
I think it is very silly to get on a train
if you do not know its destination,
very silly indeed.
We will not tolerate Britain becoming
the poor relation of Europe.
Europe is a monument to the vanity
of individuals, a programme whose
inevitable destiny is failure.
We are no
longer the sick
man of Europe.
Certainly we want to see Europe more
united and with a greater sense of
common purpose.
Europe will be stronger precisely
because it has France as France, Spain
as Spain and Britain as Britain.
We believe in a free Europe but not a
standardised Europe.
We long for the freer movement of
people and ideas.
The intellectual and material richness
of Europe lies in its variety.
Europe is a product of history.
America is a product of philosophy.
Only if we speak together
can we expect the world to
heed the voice of Europe.
We British are as much heirs to the
legacy of European culture as any
other nation.
… we British have in a very special
way contributed to Europe.
We can’t go on any longer being
Europe’s most bountiful benefactor.
Mr Chairman, you have invited
me to speak on the subject of Britain
and Europe. Perhaps I should
congratulate you on your courage.
If you believe some of the things
said and written about my views on
Europe, it must seem rather
like inviting Genghis Khan to speak
on the virtues of peaceful coexistence!