Europe
By geography, by culture and by history we are part of Europe. There is far more that unites us than divides us. Yet we are a unique sovereign state. We have given our language to the world and because we are an island we have always looked beyond our shores and around the world for our trade, commerce and influence.

The founding fathers of the European Union were right to work for their vision of a peaceful, prosperous continent. They could never have guessed how quickly this would be achieved, or how much their original vision would have to change to prevent the very economic and political tensions they sought to leave behind, from re-emerging.

It might be possible to create a federal Europe with a single central bank, a single currency, a single European army, a single foreign policy - but is it necessary? Is it desirable? Is it what most of our citizens in South Wiltshire want? I think not.

There is a democratic deficit in the European debate. We should not hand over any more power to Brussels without the specific leave of the British people in referendums. Above all, I would welcome a referendum, on the right terms, on what sort of Europe we believe in for the future - centralist and federalist or co-operating nation states.

We fought two World Wars to keep Europe free. We were joined in that fight for freedom by the most powerful nation in the world and our closest ally - the United States of America.

The freedom we enjoy does not mean subjecting ourselves by a majority vote to unnecessary harmonisation in pursuit of a dream. Equally, it does not mean we can or should abandon all the good things we have built up in Europe over the past 50 years - starting with peace. Our young people would not forgive us for abandoning that progress. We could not leave the EU without returning to the days of tariffs and quotas, import controls, the end of the right to travel and to work in Europe and without putting at risk the massive international investment which has flowed into Britain as a consequence of our membership.

Most European governments are under pressure from their citizens to resist the rush to federalism and economic and monetary union. Governments ignore their citizens at their peril. Conservatives believe in an open, flexible, free-enterprise Europe; a Europe which celebrates diversity. This can be a "network Europe", a Europe of nation states co-operating together. A democratic Europe needs flexibility and diversity. Its nations need freedom and choice.

Should I believe the time had come for our withdrawal from the European Union I would not hesitate to say so and to act accordingly.