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		Letter to the Editor Various East Mids publications - Monday 28th November 2005 Dear Sir, Two years ago I and my fellow Conservative MEPs led a successful campaign in the European Parliament to save the Red Ensign from abolition. This flag has been the symbol of Britain's merchant navy for hundreds of years. The European Commission had wanted to impose a standardised EU flag on all European shipping. Now the Commission is reintroducing the idea as part of a package of safety measures for ships. They never take NO for an answer. They say an EU flag would be a guarantee of safety at sea. But merchant sailors from the East Midlands and elsewhere will tell you that the Red Ensign has always stood for the highest standards of seamanship. An EU maritime flag would be like the EU's 112 emergency number -- meaningless and confusing. We want our ships to fly our national flag. Nothing is more recognisable at sea than the Red Ensign. The idea of flying an EU flag is unacceptable. It defies common sense and centuries of tradition. Conservative MEPs will take up this fight again to preserve our maritime heritage. Yours faithfully Roger Helmer MEP