...to your nearest branch of Civitas, the think tank, who today publish a pamphlet of mine.
It's a debate with Lord Pearson over withdrawal from the EU. He argues for withdrawal, and I put the eurosceptic case for staying in.

Here's how the press realease summarises it:

Writing in Should We Stay or Should We Go?, Stephen Pollard of the Centre for the New Europe argues that the forthcoming referendum on the European Constitution offers 'the opportunity of a generation to mould the EU in the direction which the British have been advocating for decades… [and] places the power to force change in the hands of the electorate, who will have the opportunity to say what they think, and to say it in a way that can't be ignored' (p.25).

Pollard sees the conflict over the Constitution as a battle between the forces of Old Europe, led by France and Germany ('statist, tax-devouring… old, sclerotic' pp.28 & 28) and New Europe ('more market-flexible, politically loose and sovereignty-respecting' p.26). New Europe is led by Britain, but with the very important fresh allies of Eastern European countries that have recently joined the EU, and which are more drawn towards the British and American political model - 'the EU did nothing to free Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary from the Soviet empire' (p.27).

Pollard cites the appointment of José Barrosa as President of the European Commission as a sign of the new outlook in Europe, an outlook that owes much to British influence:

At a time when the possibility now exists of sending so severe a shock to the EU's system that change is unavoidable, it would be crazy, now of all times, to consider withdrawal (p.26).

Pollard warns that the Blair government wants to portray the referendum on the European Constitution as being about whether we should be in or out of the EU. This should be resisted, as he believes there are many who share his own Euro-scepticism, and who will vote to reject the Constitution, but who want Britain to remain in the EU. If the referendum is allowed to turn into a vote for or against EU membership, it will let the Euro-federalists off the hook:

The withdrawal issue is thus political stupidity of the highest order, given the opportunity for a resettlement of the EU's foundations which would be presented by a "No" vote (p.31).