Hague attacks Brown on EU treaty
William Hague is to accuse Gordon Brown of "debasing the coinage of
politics" by not holding a referendum on the European Union's Lisbon
Treaty.
The shadow foreign secretary will say Labour has squandered voters'
trust by not giving them a say on EU reforms.
He will use a speech ahead of European elections to argue this is a
betrayal of Labour's manifesto promise of a referendum on the failed
constitution.
Ministers say the treaty does not carry the same weight as the
constitution.
Britain became one of 25 EU nations to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which
aims to streamline the EU's institutions and replaces the failed EU
constitution, after a Parliamentary vote in June last year.
The document has proved controversial, with unsuccessful attempts in the
UK Parliament and the courts to force a referendum on the issue.
'Not too late'
Mr Hague is expected to use his speech later to put the treaty at the
heart of his party's campaign for the European Parliament elections on 4
June.
He will tell the Conservative Spring Forum in Cheltenham: "The message
we will take to the doorsteps in the coming weeks is that if you vote
Conservative it is not too late to have the referendum you were
promised.
“ It is a matter of trust; it is a matter of faith in politics ”
William Hague Shadow foreign secretary
"It is not too late to send Gordon Brown a message on June 4 so loud he
cannot ignore it, and it is not too late to elect a Conservative
government that will fulfil the promise that all parties made at the
last general election and to which only the Conservative Party has
stayed true."
Mr Hague will repeat the Tory promise to hold a referendum on the Treaty
if it remains unratified by any of the EU's 27 states if the party is
elected to government.
"It is a matter of trust; it is a matter of faith in politics; and our
commitment rests on the truth that, in a democracy, lasting political
institutions cannot be built without the people's consent," he is
expected to argue.
Awaiting approval
Mr Hague will go on to say the government has contributed to the
public's "disillusionment" with politics and justified their "mistrust".
"They have not only devalued the currency of the nation, but their
breaking of promises has been so brazen, and in the case of the
referendum so inexcusable, that they have debased the coinage of
politics itself.
"Their legacy will be to leave office with the word of government less
believed than at any time in our lifetimes - another aspect of the
scorched earth they will leave behind them, on which only a new
government can plant the seeds of trust and belief afresh."
The Lisbon Treaty is awaiting approval by the Czech senate and president
and Poland's president.
In Germany, despite parliamentary approval, the constitutional court is
studying the treaty to judge whether it conflicts with the German
constitution.
It will also face a second referendum in the Irish Republic, where it
was rejected in 2008.
Under EU rules, the treaty cannot enter into force if any of the 27
member states fails to ratify it.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2009/04/25 00:10:03 GMT
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