IT is this month, and this year in particular, that reminds us of the importance of continuing peace in Europe.

Probably the principal reason we have enjoyed an almost unprecedented half century and more of peace in Europe, is through the purposeful effort to work between nations, across Europe, to build greater unity by creating the conditions for greater and shared prosperity.

In the story of geo-politics, the development of the European Union must stand as one of the greatest achievements; bringing once warring nations into a common endeavour and improving prosperity, even despite the major economic disruption of the most recent years.

It is no mean feat to bring 28 EU nations together, given European history.

The politics and administration of any organisation of this scale will inevitably be complex and at times frustratingly slow and bureaucratic, but it has always struck me as infinitely preferable to any other option.

Yet, in this year of all years, we are perhaps closer to the exit door of that union of nations than ever before.

It is a thoroughly depressing prospect, particularly as it seems principally driven by internal considerations of one political party, the prisoner of Euro-sceptic forces.

In what always seem short-term tactical manoeuvrings, the Prime Minister displays no apparent sense of the foundation for our EU involvement.

Instead, we are subjected to a litany of simple prejudices, designed to appease, while serving to re-enforce, the EU hysteria of right wing media.

So we are told immigration from the EU costs us all money and steals our jobs, yet the empirical evidence shows the opposite; immigration to the UK from the EU has contributed positively to the economy, not hindering us.

We are told there must be fundamental change to one of the foundation stones of the EU, by limiting free movement of peoples in order to stop what has been shown to be largely mythical EU benefit tourism.

Meanwhile, the German government quietly wins a court case in the very European Court the UK Government like to demonise, which shows it is entirely legal for nation states to act on these matters without any change to fundamental principle.

We appear reduced to a negotiating strategy which has as its only weapon the threat to leave if our demand, manufactured for the purpose of managing internal party politics, is not met.

Little wonder the UK seems more isolated and less influential in the EU than at any recent time.

Every political institution is capable of improvement, and the EU is no different, but in the current positioning on the EU we are in dangerous territory.

Recent Scottish experience shows the case for a union needs to be made, not assumed.

More voices need to be heard in support of sanity, from people who do understand the significance and benefits of the EU, in its historic context.