Britain's elections are May 5 and arguably the most important question, the country's relationship with the European Union is not on the front burner. Europe's future is being debated in France as voters there prepare to vote yes or no on the EU constitution. So in a sense it is premature to speculate about how Britain would vote on the constitution. Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised a referendum sometime after this May, but by then the whole EU constitutional issue could be turned inside out.

Regardless of which British party wins the election there is a day of decision coming as to Britain's future with the continent. So far Britain has evaded the Euro, relying on pound sterling as its currency. The British electorate is divided on the issue of EU membership. All the major political parties have had to hedge their policies and rhetoric to keep from alienating constituencies over the issue. Pro business interests favor full EU participation as Britain's only chance at competing in the global economy.

Britain's leadership has not been steady on the issue. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was adamantly opposed to her nation's full participation in the EU. She made no secret of her strong feelings that Great Britain's fortunes lay in her historic relationship with the United States. Her personal friendship with the late President Ronald Reagan defined an era of American and British relations. She knew the historic problems of the continental nations hindered the development and health of much of the world. She is often quoted as saying that when European continent sneezed others caught a cold.

This morning's Financial Times has an op-ed piece commenting on the current election. The piece ended by saying that if Europe pulled out of the EU "it could be left on the margins-subject to EU legislation but powerless to influence it. This would be bad for the future of the European continent to which it is indissolubly tied".

Those who know history would argue with this point. It was not until England lost Calais, the last outpost in France on New Year's Day 1558 that she turned her full attention to the west and the exploration and cultivation of other lands and markets. This is a key event in the story of England's rise to empire.

Few understand the full story of why England ascended to the world power she became, followed by the United States. Britain's "place in the world" was prophesied by God long before the mists rose off the fabled isle. You can read that part of the story on our booklet, "The United States and Britain in Prophecy" . It will fill in the missing details and show what lies ahead for both nations.