Viewpoint

The Blair government wants the British to embrace Europe but they are doing absolutely nothing to help Britons who have embraced Europe and have set-up their homes abroad. In fact with their present policy of refusing to pay any supplementary benefits to pensioners they are encouraging Britons to return to Britain. The British Social Services say that no extra benefits are paid outside Dover. Meanwhile Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said on Tuesday “it is a betrayal of our nation and our future constantly to obstruct every fresh opportunity for co-operation in Europe.” Well I hope that officials at the DHSS were listening because their present policies on Europe are totally against the European dream that Blair and Cook have mapped out. A Europe of co-operation, yes, maybe but if you are a pensioner it is a Europe of co-operation as long as you are living to the north of Dover.