16th May 2001

On account of the e-mail immediately following, I have reclassified Mr Brooks to a don't know. I leave it to the electors of Erith and Thamesmead to decide whether it is worth voting for a man who appears to have ratted on a clear commitment the moment it suits his purpose.

Sean Gabb
Candidlist Director
 

Dear Dr Gabb

MARK BROOKS 
Conservative 
(Erith & Thamesmead)

Further to my e-mail dated 15th March 2001, The Guardian have used information from it on 14th May 2001. It quoted that "Mark Brooks.........would never vote for the Euro and is in favour of Britain withdrawing from Europe."

This is not my position at all and they have taken my e-mail out of context. I would be grateful if you could post this on your web-site to clarify this position to anyone else who may be viewing your web-site.

Your first question states :-

If elected or re-elected to Parliament, would you oppose our joining the Eurozone even if joining were to be recommended by the Party leadership?

My response is that if elected to Parliament on 7th June 2001, I will not vote to join the Euro in that Parliament. That is the Conservative Party policy and I wholeheartedly support it.

Your second question states :-

If elected or re-elected to Parliament and required to choose between accepting the supremacy of European Union law in this country and leaving the European Union, would you vote for British withdrawal? 

I do not support British withdrawal of the European Union because European law does not have supremacy in this country. Currently, European law operates in the UK under a legal framework that Parliament has agreed to. This being the Treaty of Rome (with public endorsement in 1975), Single European Act and the Treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam . 

I have taken the meaning of the question to being that European law would have supremacy over British law without the framework being agreed by Parliament. This I obviously reject.

I fully endorse the Conservative Party policy of vetoing any further transfer of power from Westminster to Brussels. When the Conservatives are elected on 7th June 2001, the situation that you allude to in your question will then become irrelevant.

Thank you for your time in this matter

Mark Brooks

I am told by a source of great authority that Mr Brooks is willing to answer yes to both the Candidlist Questions:

1) If elected or re-elected to Parliament, would you oppose our joining the Eurozone even if joining were to be recommended by the Party leadership?

2) If elected or re-elected to Parliament and required to choose between accepting the supremacy of European Union law in this country and leaving the European Union, would you vote for British withdrawal?

Of course, the authority on which I make this classification is less valuable than a public statement by Mr Brooks.

Sean Gabb
Candidlist Webmaster
21st September 2000

Dear Dr Gabb

I am currently classified on your list as a Eurosceptic after you received a letter/e-mail from what could be called "A source close to Mark Brooks" and commented that it would be better if I made a public declaration to support this. I am more than happy to make such a declaration.

1) If elected or re-elected to Parliament, would you oppose our joining the Eurozone even if joining were to be recommended by the Party leadership? 

Yes, though Conservative policy is to oppose joining during this Parliament anyway. 

2) If elected or re-elected to Parliament and required to choose between accepting the supremacy of European Union law in this country and leaving the European Union, would you vote for British withdrawal?

Yes

I trust this is sufficient to confirm my classification.

Yours sincerely

MARK BROOKS

Dear Mr Brooks,

Many thanks for your e-mail of today. I have published it on the Candidlist site, and confirm that it is more than sufficient to confirm your classification.

With my best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Sean Gabb
Candidlist Webmaster