Today's advertisement in the Yorkshire Post draws on a new opinion poll to highlight public disquiet over the prospect of uncontrolled immigration from Romania and Bulgaria when Britain lifts transitional controls which have applied since they joined the EU in 2007. The poll, conducted by YouGov among 1,013 people in Yorkshire, finds that the overwhelming majority (74 per cent) are opposed to the elimination of border controls on Romania and Bulgaria, required under EU law guaranteeing the free movement of labour. Only 15 per cent supported the lifting of border controls and 11 per cent said they did not know.
The UKIP-branded advertisement urges David Cameron to listen to the public and take action to stem the potential inflow of large numbers of extra immigrants. It launches a new petition calling on the Government to suspend the relaxation of border regulations and a new website areyoulisteningprimeminister.com to mobilise public opinion behind the campaign.
Mr Sykes, who has given financial backing to Eurosceptic parties and candidates for more than 20 years, said he regarded May's European elections, where UKIP are predicted to score heavily, as Britain's last chance to break free from Brussels. He said he would do all he could to support Nigel Farage's party and was prepared to spend heavily to help it get its anti-EU message across to the public.
Commenting Mr Sykes said: "As a nation state Britain is drinking in the last chance saloon. Our failure to exert any control over our borders with the 27 other members of the EU means that we are on the brink of abolishing ourselves as an independent country and consigning 1000 years of nationhood to the dustbin of history. You cannot call yourself an independent country if you surrender all controls over your borders. But this is what we have done by agreeing to ever closer union in Europe, the free movement across borders of its 500 million inhabitants, and signing treaty after treaty giving up our ancient democratic rights of self-government."
Moving on to the removing of transitional controls, on Romania and Bulgaria, on January 1st and an in/out referendum Mr Sykes said: I have nothing against people from Romania and Bulgaria. But given the 4 million immigrants we have absorbed since 1997 and given the prospect that the end of transitional controls on two of the poorest countries on the Continent will trigger another wave of mass immigration, in defiance of public opinion, we have to draw the line somewhere. I believe we have one last chance to stop the gradual erosion of our national independence. And that chance comes with the European elections. If, as I hope and believe, UKIP score a stunning national victory, then the leaders of the other main parties will have no choice but to abandon their slavish support for the EU."
Talking about his own views Mr Sykes commented: "I favour our immediate withdrawal from the EU and our rebirth as a self-governing democracy. But because I am a democrat and a patriot, interested only in the welfare of my homeland, I want that decision taken by the people of this country in an In/Out referendum. I want to see all parties commit to an early referendum. So far they have stubbornly refused to listen. May be a comprehensive thrashing at the polls will bring them to their senses. Far better would be to accelerate the whole process and have that In/Out referendum on the day of the general election in 2015. There is no doubt that the euro has failed, as I predicted it would, but that has not stopped the federalist juggernaut and now they are trying to create a political union, a United States of Europe, without securing the support of the British people in a referendum."
Mr Sykes was an area council member of the Conservative Party in Yorkshire in the 1980s, a major donor to the party, and a devoted supporter of Margaret Thatcher. He said that he still regarded himself as a Conservative but that he did not regard David Cameron's party as Conservative. He broke with John Major in 1994 over his "wait and see" attitude towards joining the euro and supported individual Eurosceptic candidates at the 1997 general election. Between 2001 and 2004 he gave substantial financial backing to UKIP. But he is now firmly in the UKIP camp. "Nigel Farage and UKIP are the last best hope for Britain. I am prepared to do whatever it takes propel them to victory next year."
Mr Sykes was an area council member of the Conservative Party in Yorkshire in the 1980s, a major donor to the party, and a devoted supporter of Margaret Thatcher. He said that he still regarded himself as a Conservative but that he did not regard David Cameron's party as Conservative. He broke with John Major in 1994 over his "wait and see" attitude towards joining the euro and supported individual Eurosceptic candidates at the 1997 general election. Between 2001 and 2004 he gave substantial financial backing to UKIP. But he is now firmly in the UKIP camp. "Nigel Farage and UKIP are the last best hope for Britain. I am prepared to do whatever it takes propel them to victory next year."
