Why Do People Hate The EU So Much? James O'Brien Has The Unbelievable Reason

14 November 2018, 13:24 | Updated: 14 November 2018, 15:37

James O'Brien reveals the reason that people hate the European Union so much - the gaslighting from UK newspapers for the last 20 years.

James was baffled by why so many people have such strong feelings about the EU. But this list of inaccurate headlines from the press over the last two decades illustrates how they have been taught to despise it.

Speaking on his LBC show, James said: "If you wanted to work out why and then people you love and people you respect who talk to you as if the European Union is our enemy here's your answer.

"And what's heartbreaking about this is this is how all those poor people ended up ringing my programme thinking that when they said 'I can't wait to escape those laws', it had never actually occurred tothem that they wouldn't be able to name any. That's why."

20 Years Of Fake News About The European Union

EC regulations to ban playgrounds – Daily Express

Rolling acres outlawed by Brussels – The Telegraph

EU to scrap British exams – Sunday Express

Obscure EU law halting the sale of English oak seeds – Mail on Sunday

EU may try to ban sweet and toy ads – The Times

EU to tell British farmers what they can grow – Daily Mail

EU ‘Bans Boozing’ – Daily Star

Light ale to be forced to change its name by Eurocrats – Daily Mail

EU fanatics to be forced to sing dire anthem about EU ‘Motherland’ – The Sun

British apple trees facing chop by EU – The Times

EC plan to ban noisy toys – Sunday People

EU to ban bagpipes and trapeze artists – The Sun

Children to be banned from blowing up balloons, under EU safety rules – Daily Telegraph

Straight cucumbers – The Sun

Curved bananas banned by Brussels bureaucrats – The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express

Brussels bans barmaids from showing cleavage – The Sun, Daily Telegraph

Rumpole’s wig to scrapped by EU – Mail on Sunday

Church bells silenced by fear of EU law – Daily Telegraph

Motorists to be charged to drive in city centres under EU plans – Daily Telegraph

EU to stop binge drinking by slapping extra tax on our booze – The Sun

Brandy butter to be renamed ‘brandy spreadable fat’ – The European

British loaf of bread under threat from EU – Daily Mail

Truckers face EU ban on fry-ups – The Sun

EU to ban Union Flag from British meat packs – Daily Express

EU seeks to outlaw 60 dog breeds – Europa News Agency

Double-decker buses to be banned – Daily Telegraph

EU bans eating competition cakes – Timesonline

Now EU officials want control of your CANDLES – Daily Express

21-gun salutes are just too loud, Brussels tells the Royal Artillery – Mail on Sunday

Brussels threatens charity shops and car boot sales – Daily Mail

Plot to axe British number plates for standardised EU design – Daily Express

Women to be asked intimate details about sex lives in planned EU census – Daily Express

British cheese faces extinction under EU rules – PA News

EU meddlers ban kids on milk rounds – The Sun, The Telegraph

British chocolate to be renamed ‘vegelate’ under EU rules – Daily Mail

EU to ban church bells – Daily Telegraph

British film producers warn of new EU threat to industry – The Independent

Kilts to be branded womenswear by EU – Daily Record

EU to ban double decker buses – Daily Mail

Cod to be renamed ‘Gadus’ thanks to EU – Daily Mail

Brussels to restrict drinking habits of Britain’s coffee lovers – Daily Express

EU responsible for your hay fever – Daily Mail, The Times

Condom dimensions to be harmonised – Independent on Sunday

EU wants to BAN your photos of the London Eye – Daily Express

Corgis to be banned by EU – Daily Mail

EU forcing cows to wear nappies – Daily Mail

Eurocrats to ban crayons and colouring pencils – The Sun

Smoky bacon crisps face EU ban – Sunday Times

EU outlaws teeth whitening products – Daily Mail

Domain names – ‘.uk’ to be replaced by ‘.eu’ – Daily Mail

Brussels to ban HGV drivers from wearing glasses – The Times

New eggs cannot be called eggs – Daily Mail

EU to ban selling eggs by the dozen – Daily Mail

UK to be forced to adopt continental two pin plug – Daily Star, Daily Mail

EU targets traditional Sunday roast – Sun on Sunday

English Channel to be re-named ‘Anglo-French Pond’ – Daily Mail

Brussels to force EU flag on England shirts – Daily Mail

EU orders farmers to give toys to pigs – The Times

Firemen’s poles outlawed by EU – Daily Mail

Euro ban on food waste means swans cannot be fed – The Observer

Noise regulations to force football goers to wear earplugs – The Sun

Traditional Irish funeral under threat from EU – Daily Telegraph, The Times

EU to ban high-heel shoes for hairdressers – Daily Express

Commission to force fishermen to wear hairnets – Daily Telegraph

Brussels to ban herbal cures – Daily Express

Bureaucrats declare Britain is “not an island”– the Guardian

EU bid to ban life sentences for murderers – Daily Express

New EU map makes Kent part of France – Sunday Telegraph

EU tells Welsh how to grow their leeks – The Times

EU to ban lollipop ladies’ sticks – News of the World

EU plot to rename Trafalgar Square & Waterloo station – Daily Express

UK milk ‘pinta’ threatened by Brussels – The Sun

EU bans ‘mince’ pies – Daily Mail

Eurocrats say Santa must be a woman – The Sun

Now EU crackpots demand gypsy MPs – Daily Express

Brussels to outlaw mushy peas – The Sun, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Times

Brussels says shellfish must be given rest breaks on journeys – The Times

Pets must be pressure cooked after death – Sunday Telegraph

EU puts speed limit on children’s roundabouts – Daily Express

2-for-1 bargains to be scrapped by EU – Daily Mirror

EU madness: chat up bar girl and pub will be fined – Daily Star

Queen to be forced to get her own tea by EU – The Sun

EU tells women to hand in worn-out sex toys – The Sun

British rhubarb to be straight – The Sun

EU to ban rocking horses – The Sun

Scotch whisky rebranded a dangerous chemical by EU – Daily Telegraph

Brussels ban on pints of shandy – The Times

“High up” signs to be put on mountains – BBC

Euronotes cause impotence – Daily Mail

EU to ban under 16-year-olds from using Facebook – Daily Mail

Strawberries must be oval – The Sun

EU orders swings to be pulled down – Daily Express

Tea bags banned from being recycled – BBC

British lav to be replaced with Euro-loo – The Sun

Unwanted Valentine’s cards to be defined as sexual harrasment – Daily Telegraph

Bosses to be told what colour carpets to buy by EU – Daily Star

EU says British yoghurt to be renamed ‘Fermented Milk Pudding’ – Sunday Mirror

EU to ban zipper trousers – The Sun

Full list from Tom Pride