Geoffrey Van Orden MEP | Letters to Editors

Letters to Editors

Letter to the Times - The Centre Ground has Shifted

As published 13 May 2013

Sir, Daniel Finkelstein (Opinion, May 8) should appreciate that views regarded as right-wing some years ago now reflect the views of a majority and should more accurately be described as centrist. The political centre ground on both immigration and Europe has shifted.
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Letter to the Telegraph - EU not relevant to Britain's defence concerns

As sent 23 April 2013

We should be careful not to fall into the trap of confusing our defence interests, in particular our membership of NATO, with our role in the EU (Daily Telegraph, 23 April). For some, the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is a diversion from NATO commitments, for others it's an excuse to do less. Either way it is unnecessary.
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Letter to the EADT - Getting a grip on Immigration

As sent 26 March 2013

Sir, I have long shared concerns over uncontrolled immigration and have been consistently active on the issue over many years. Only Conservatives have both the desire and now, more importantly, the power to bring immigration under control - from wherever it comes.
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Letter to The Times - Distortions in Foreign Policy

As sent 26 October 2012

Sir, The British High Commissioner's talks with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi (Times, 23 October) are long overdue and much to be welcomed. The communal killings and riots in Gujarat ten years ago were indeed terrible events in which hundreds of both Hindus and Moslems died. I have enormous sympathy for those that suffered as a consequence.
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Letter to The Times - Leaving the EU

As published 12 July

Sir, your commentator Bill Emmott (Opinion, July 9) is right to suggest that in today's increasingly globalised world all national sovereignty is circumscribed in some ways.
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Letter to The Times - The Centre Ground in Politics

As sent 6 May 2012

Sir, As always, Matthew Parris’s scrutiny of the local election results (Times 5 May) contains much wisdom – but I think he is too dismissive of the concerns of “the majority of ordinary voters” and perhaps fails to draw the correct conclusion.
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Letter to the Economist - 'Save the City'

As sent 16 January 2012

Sir - You have produced an excellent, succinct analysis of the importance of the City to Britain and globally.
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Letter to the Financial Times - Get South Africa more involved in changing Zimbabwe

As published 20 October 2011

Sir, Before the Archbishop of Canterbury went to Zimbabwe I wrote to him warning that Robert Mugabe’s one aim would be to get him to support lifting the European Union’s restrictive measures on the regime’s close circle of kleptocrats.

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Letter to the Financial Times - Defence policy is just a distraction

Published 16 June 2011

Sir, Jolyon Howorth (Letters, June 14) quite rightly points out that European countries need to end their over-reliance on the US’s military capabilities. However, we must not confuse burden-sharing by European countries with European Union defence policy. Professor Howorth refers to the establishment of European security and defence policy (now known as CSDP) in 1998 as though Washington had somehow encouraged it. The reality is that Washington viewed it for what it is – a distraction for European countries from fulfilling their obligations under Nato.
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Letter to the Times - Liam Fox and Sri Lanka

As sent 11 October 2011

Sir, In addition to the enormous challenges of current military operations and balancing the defence budget, Dr LiamFox has been the most robust supporter of NATO while opposing the unnecessary and wasteful distraction that is EU defence policy. And clearly he has engaged strongly with key allies - of course the United States, but also previously neglected friends in the Gulf and the Commonwealth.
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