The outrageous decision to make the Irish vote again shows the EU is thoroughly anti democratic. The Irish voted No, and that should be that. I hope the Irish vote it down even more heavily next time.
It also appears that there are changes to the Treaty, over the number of Commissioners. This means it should be put again to the people and Parliaments of the EU everywhere. This time the Uk government should honour its promise to give us a vote.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College, and has a DPhil from All Souls, Oxford. A businessman by background, he has been a director of NM Rothschild merchant bank and chairman of a quoted industrial PLC.
20 Comments
Good point about changing the treaty ex post meaning a legal requirement that it must be voted again by the British Parliament.
I cannot see how they expect to get the Irish to change their vote. Ireland may now be in recession but so is the whole EU & the Irish will not be treated like children told to go away & work out the correct answer.
The Irish will have at least two votes; Maybe more if they say no again.
I just hope that this attitude of Nanny knows best by their government and the EUSSR, will lead to an even bigger no vote.
With the early signs of cracks appearing in European unity, let’s hope the current economic decline leads to the demise of the EUSSR project, as each member state shows it is in fact a separate country that wishes to put its own national interests first ahead of the EUSSR’s.
Voting and voters huh? Does your wife agree with this vote or do you hide it. Absolutely disgusting! You should be ashamed. If you had a vote for a strike and that vote was carried unambiguously and unanimously. Would you need a vote to go back to work? Answers via this site kids. The lack of answers from the regulars will be noted. This is not a private ballot. Can’t touch this…
So which way would Bob Spink vote in a referendum anyway?
Pollitics is a dirty business.
We already have a Patriotic British Party in he UK which is Totally committed to total withdrawal from the EU and it’s not EUKIP.
I strongly suspect that this Declan guy is being put into the public conciousness precisely because said party is gaining considerable support as British People begin to realise that the Leadership of all three main parties in the UK are all Pro EU.
when Libertas start getting air time on the BBC and others then I will know.
Western European Peoples have been sold out by their elites for the promise of money and Absolute Power.
Vladimir Bukovsky warns of an EU dictatorship, ‘they are creating a new race of people’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM2Ql3wOGcU
Conspiracy theorists proven right yet again. Mps and clueless journalists, with their media studies degrees, wrong as usual.
Today is the anniversary of the hold a referendum protests in that debacle of a parliament. A fitting time to announce Ireland must have two referendum while Britain must have none
The most pertinent comment is that the treaty has changed, therefore all govts need to ratify it again. For example, if we’ve signed up to a common EU army (have we?), we signed on the basis that all EU members will pull their weight. If, now, one of them is able to duck out of defence obligations, leaving us to carry an unfair share of the burden, then that part of the treaty is not valid, if not all of it. The Irish are being given guarantees on tax independence. Do we not have the same? This is key; we might be under obligation on an area of tax, while the Irish are free to give themselves a competitive advantage. The treaty is not valid if it changes for anyone.
Furthermore, it appears that whenever a country rejects a treaty, various sweeteners and opt outs are offered. Why, therefore, does any country sign up 1st time out? Surely every govt owes it to its people to get the best deal possible. What goodies would we have been offered if we’d rejected it the 1st time?
We don’t want goodies – we just want out!!
You will vote, vote, and vote again until we get the result we need!
Warning! This is a rude one.
What part of F**k Off don’t they understand?
(You really need to be Anglo Saxon English – or strangely Irish – to really understand this)
I agree with the Irish Government. If the Government firmly believes that it is in the best interests of the nation to move forward with a constitution, then of course it should try again. It should reform its arguments, strengthen its case and put the matter back before the people.
Electorally, the Conservatives will not win votes by being anti-European. Strong leaders, such as John Major (who unlike Thatcher didn’t dither about the place all the time on the European issue), knew that Britain could play a strong part in the European Union. Instead of being scared of the European Union, it’s time for us to let our businesses embrace the continent and start competing economically to be the best.
John Redwood’s argument, with respect, is false. It’s like saying that if the Conservatives lost the General Election, they should respect the people and not try again. Politics isn’t that simple and politicians should fight for what they believe in, and communicate that to the electorate, but listen to the electorate at the same time.
Reply: Fine – let’s have a 2nd referendum in France and Holland then
If there is common currency, common taxes, common laws, common government, you then have a state, the ultimate long term objective. Where then is the competition?
Come the run-up to the European elections, is Cameron going to tell us (again) which grouping the Conservative MEPs are going to join? Should we believe him this time?
Reply: Yes he will. He has made clear we will have nothing to do with the Federalist EPP, and no Conservative will be able this time to stand on a platform of support for them or federalism.
The Irish have a history of constitution making – indeed, that was the cause of their Independence. Unlike modern Englishmen and women, they may well appreciate what a bad constitution means and won’t be bamboozled into voting “Yes” just because that is what the Central praesidium wants.
I was so pleased that yesterday the Czech President told Danny Cohn-Bendit where to go when he started to behave like a Russian!
I’m not sure that is correct. The government is that of the monarch who exercise power on behalf of the crown.
It is not the British tradition and history that the country belongs to the people and that the elected representatives are there to represent our wishes.
The British constitution is that we elect MPs who then exercise -their- judgment on matters. They do not represent us rather than it is we who elect the MPs on the basis of their views.
Finally, it is unlikely that the surrender of British sovereignty amounts to treason if it is accepted by the government, Parliament and the monarch. If the Queen were to sign an Act passing into law the terms of the EU constitution which were passed by Parliament, then I cannot see how this could be treason – given that the power is that of the monarch to sign away.
Agreed!
Absolutely right!
I can’t see any of the political elite on any side if the house taking us out of the EU, regardless of the result of a referendum. I think too many of them have too much to gain personally. I might be wrong, but it’s the only reason I can see why the wishes of the population are ignored time after time
I think the Conservatives are quietly hoping the Lisbon Constitution will be ratified and then they don’t have to bother. To say there will be a referundum only if Lisbon isn’t ratified is a cop out. The colleagues will work very hard behind the scenes to make sure we don’t get the chance.
Hasn’t the Queen already signed Lisbon?
It must be treason as all those involved have sworn allegiance to the Crown this was confirmed by no lesser person than Tony Blair who said
“The dilemma of a British Prime Minister over Europe is acute to the point of the ridiculous. Basically you have a choice: co-operate in Europe and you betray Britain; be unreasonable in Europe, be praised back home, and be utterly without influence in Europe. It’s sort of: isolation or treason.”
It is all about protecting the national sovereignty not undermining it, we are faced literally with a revolution against the people by the state.
Does the monarch own the country outright and literally have the power to give it away, because that would be the only way this argument could stand.