10.57am update: On his blog John Redwood exposes Miliband’s porkies on Today: and brilliantly debunks Miliband’s claims that the Constitution is ‘good for Britain’, that the Treaty is different from the Constitution and that it ‘protects our red lines’. As usual, these claims went unchallenged on Today - where is Paxman when we need him?
7.41am update: Both Dizzy and the the Last Boy Scout discuss the rebellion of 120 MPs that is disclosed in today’s press, but the question is will Labour MPs have the guts to rebel against Brown when most didn’t dare back anyone against him in the Leadership ‘election’ that never happened?
5.18pm update: Great article on this subject on the Purple Scorpion which I missed earlier.
Whether you are for or against the European Constitution (or Treaty or whatever its current moniker is), you can hardly deny that - due to the constitutional changes it would entail - a referendum in the UK should be mandatory.
The Government’s arrogance and lack of insight is pretty clear in its unwillingness to grant a referendum on the European Constitution (some of last week’s news stories, such as in Politics.co.uk, The Times, The Guardian and The Independent, are depressing in that regard). But it is reassuring to see that the Sunday Times, as reported by EU Referendum, is calling for a referendum.
Despite pressure from trades unions which are normally quite influential, i.e. the GMB and RMT, and respected Labour MPs (including Gisela Stuart and Gwyneth Dunwoody) the Government doesn’t seem to wish to back down. Its (i.e. Brown’s) argument is that the ‘treaty’ is not the Constitution, and Parliament should make the decision (i.e. Labour MPs will vote they way they’re told).
It is this breathtaking arrogance and contempt for the electorate that characterised the Blair years – it is outrageous that Brown should adopt the same approach to his own premiership, after saying that things would change. Obviously, things have not changed one iota and the electorate will be able to make its own judgment in the ballot-box sometime in the future, whenever Brown dares call a General Election.
If the Government really believes in the European Union and in this Constitution, then it should offer a referendum in order to strengthen the legitimacy of the European Project. But we all know that it won’t do that because of the dirty trick played by Blair upon Brown at Blair’s final European Summit, which leaves Brown with no room for manoeuvre. A fine start to Brown’s premiership, indeed, or another fine mess we should say.
Posted by Mountjoy 8.22am
27 August, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Does anyone think, “Hey hang on a moment?”. Democracy is a system where the government is elected by the people to represent and work for the people. ie. The government is supposed to be listening to the people and acting according to our wishes. While it may be acceptable on occasion for the government not to do this eg. with regards to national security. A government which consistently acts against the peoples wishes, signs away our sovereignty and makes fundamental changes to our constitutional framework cannot possibly be regarded as democratic. When major changes to the way our country is governed are planned by our government, it is our democratic right that they be put to the people by referendum, before they take place. It is treasonous for our government to sign so much of our independence and sovereignty away before first getting the peoples consent.
28 August, 2007 at 8:36 pm
The Treaty is not the same as the Constitution so a referendum isn’t needed. It is just the Tories and their cohorts playing politics again.