The people of Essex do not want their lives controlled by the Europe Union according to the region's MEP.
Eastern MEP Geoffrey Van Orden said to the European Parliament: "I can tell you the people of Essex that I represent would like less interference in their lives by the EU - they want to run their own affairs.
"Our businesses want to sharpen their ability to compete in global markets, not be weighed down by red tape and regulation.
"The one aspect of the EU for which there is any enthusiasm is the single market, but Essex farmers and businessmen always suspected the odds were deliberately stacked against them because certain countries just ignored the rules."
Published Tuesday January 20, 2004
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