This morning we learn that, privately, Gordon Brown thinks the Constitutional Treaty is dead, in a carefully crafted piece briefed to the Eurosceptic Sunday Times. How can this be a private thought when it has been so thoughfully shared with the nation through a major newspaper’s front page? How can it be anything other than covering Eurosceptic fire from the top, when in practice we learn that the government intends to grind on with Lords ratification next week. It is false fire, cynical manipulation, when by their every action the government demonstrates it does not trust the British people to decided this and does not intend to be railroaded out of the project by the Irish people either. I could only be persuaded to a different view if there were an on-the-record statement by the government that the Treaty is dead, followed by cancellation of the legislation currently before the Lords to ratify.
I believe the on-the-record statements of the Euro Minister, who implies dollops of Brussels fudge to sort out the Irish once the other 26 countries have ratified whilst wisely avoiding all contact with their electors which might derail the project. Meanwhile, plucky, democratic Ireland is to be treated like some pariah who must not be allowed to “hold up” the others, and who will have to live in limbo or the dog-house for a bit whilst the Irish public cools off and is softened up for the next move towards the Euro centralising state.
It is a predictable disgrace that the Euro elite see the Irish vote as cause for annoyance, condescension and sidelining of the one country in the Union that has asked the public for a view. No wonder so many people mistrust European politicians, and so many are cynical about politics. What is it about these public servants that they arrogate the right to do the opposite of what the electors, their paymasters want? Why do they think they should be able to draw salaries and expenses of a generous nature in order to take more power away from us, and order us about in new ways, when we want the opposite?
If anyone in the European bureaucracy is listening, understand the mood of many people living in the EU. The economic performance is not good enough, taxes are too high for the amount of public service we get, and there are too many laws and regulations. Why, in such a context, do you think we want more of the same? We want change – we want more freedom.
June 15, 2008
John:
I am not entiely clear what the government are saying.
They and their masters in the EUSSR state that the twenty six countries should press on and ratify the treaty(sic) without the Irish.
My Dictionary gives the meaning of “To ratify” as the following:-
“To approve and sanction, esp. by signature, to give valdity or legality to.”
Now, does this mean, our treasonous government and the other twenty five countries, intend to bring in the treaty anyway despite their rules stating that all member states must ratify a treaty for it to be implemented?
Will the new officers of state that the treaty(sic) creates, only represent the twennty six states and not the Irish?
Will there in effect be two different sets of laws and regulations within the EUSSR, one set applying to the Irish, the other to the rest of us?
What status within the EUSSR will the Irish have compared to the other twenty six “Good boys” that have gone along with the diktats of the faceless EUSSR masters?
By the way John, your decision not to comment on or answer the questions posed to my comments on the “UK government ploughs on with the EU constitutional treaty” thread that raises questions regarding our party’s leader and his personal views and policy beliefs, gives creedence to my arguments put in the “No to the EU army” thread.
Believe me John, I really don’t want to have a go at you all the time, as I believe you are one of the rare breed of honest principled politicians and you do a great job as my MP and ninety nine percent of the time I agree with your daily postings, but I do feel since Mr Cameron has become leader, discussion and debate has been excluded from the party in much the same way Messers Blair and Brown have in the Labour party. Just my thoughts.
Reply: I have always been clear what I would do – renegotiate and then put the results to the people so they could decide whether to stay in on better terms or leave. David Cameron is strongly in favour of repatriating powers and against the Constitutional treaty. He will tell us what he will do in government nearer the time – for the moment he is rightly fighting the battle to try to prevent the Constitutional treaty coming in.
June 15, 2008
First the EU writes a constitution/treaty that is deliberately impossible to understand. Then, when the Irish vote 'No' they claim the Irish didn't understand the Treaty. The sheer brazen cynicism of it amazes me.
Cannot the Liberals in the Lords now be persuaded to vote down the Third Reading of the Treaty?
June 15, 2008
How I wish that the Queen would step in! Surely the time has come? "La Reine s'avisera." The ensuing "constitutional crisis" might be thoroughly beneficial. How can she sign herself and all of us away to a foreign power?
June 15, 2008
I have just heard Milliband say that the treaty isn't dead. He agreed that the Irish people had said no, but also said it was up to the Irish Government as to what would happen next. To my mind this just shows the contempt, to which this man and the rest of his ilk, hold the people who voted for him, in. I am 74 years old and have never hated, and I use the word advisedly, anything, as much as I do this Government.
June 15, 2008
The fact that Brown faced down Blair over joining the EU suggests he is considerably more eurosceptic than his public persona.
When he came to power there was considerable optimism because we thought he would stand for something new (even though nobody knew quite what) but, with the exception of a few details about African aid he has ben woefully short of anything original. I still think he does have some ideas of what to do & should take the plunge by doing them.
June 15, 2008
You definitely have reason, but is it not okay for other nations who want to have a closer relationship (based on Lisbon) to attempt to do so?
June 15, 2008
Listening to Milliband with his cosy chat with Marr this morning and his 'we must listen to the Irish PM this week as to what would happen next' Marr conveniently did not press him on the obvious 'What do you mean, what would happen next'
I agree with you Mr. Redwood weasle words put out by the great bottler (who knows all about courage!!) and his inferior cabinet. It makes them look tough but they intend to hand this country to the Euromonster.
The Queen has been silent too long on this. I do hope she now speaks up for her Nation and her people. We must be given a referendum, and I would prefer the Lib Dem referendum IN or OUT.
Good luck to you Mr. Redwood.
June 15, 2008
Europe, actually, reminds me very much of, strangely, Christian Unity.
When I was an Anglican, I thought that Christian Unity was easy: all the Churches had to do was to sign up and then do exactly as they had been doing for ages. The thing would look right, but, actually, just like the anglican Church, it would be diverse underneath.
Now I am a Catholic, of course, I want everyone to observe the sacraments, to respect and, yes, love, the Pope and his clergy and bishops.
I could tell that the other Christian sects all wanted everyone to be "born again", warmed", "changed" and so on.
Nobody could see that, of course, the whole thing was completely impossible and that what really mattered was just getting along together and sharing our tasks whenever we possibly could.
At the moment, in Europe, we seem to have a sort of Wilhelmine German Parliament, a French commission of technocrats, a Spanish sort of President and a (very) few English parliamentarians.
It just does not work because, I think, everyone wants everyone else to change into them.
They won't. Will you?
That is why I am in favour of becoming like Switzerland and Norway. I want a "Europe des Patries" like de Gaulle. It is the only realistic way forward.
June 16, 2008
We are moving towards a crescendo. The flurry of conflicting statements over the weekend was mere dithering at maximum volume, slimy as ever, but without direction. The Lords hold considerable power on Wednesday – and events have now caught up with an inadequate government. We have entered a realm of unpredictability, exciting and dangerous. That unmentionable creek, where the paddle was lost so haplessly last year, has become a river of increasingly irresistable current. I can hear the sound of a waterfall up ahead. It's not going to take two years to get there.