CONSERVATIVE LISBON ILLUSIONARIES AND BELATED CLARIFICATION
Make no mistake, that with a European Union constitution coming into force with a permanent president, foreign office etc, the Treaty of Lisbon means, effectively, the end of self-government for the British people and the emergence of a country called Europe (if you ignore a few nation states such as Norway and Switzerland). It also probably means that our absorption is effectively irreversible, unless by force of arms.
The fact that all treaties, from the Treaty of Rome, through the Single European Act, Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice and now Lisbon have been adopted by our politicians, without once, the people of this country being given the chance to decide on these profoundly constitution changing measures in referenda, means that in actuality a coup d’état has taken place by those hidden forces that report to no one.
All we have, it seems, to stop this process in its tracks are vague promises from the Conservative Party. How much are these promises worth?
On 23rd November 2007, I received a reply from the Office of the Rt Hon William Hague MP to a letter of mine on the Conservative Party’s position on the Lisbon Treaty (formerly the EU’s Constitutional Treaty rejected in referenda by the French and Dutch. The Lisbon Treaty remember, was in turn rejected by the Irish, who have been told that’s not acceptable and must vote again in the Autumn of 2009). In the said letter, Hague attempts to reassure me that the Conservatives, in power, will come good on Lisbon. He writes:
‘If every other country in the EU has already ratified and implemented the Treaty by the time of the next General Election, and we are faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted, such a situation would mean that, in the view of the Conservative Party, European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. Accordingly, this would not be acceptable to a Conservative Government and we would not let matters rest there. But Mr Hague believes that we should determine our precise response to that situation, if it comes to pass, nearer the time.’
This letter is somewhat comforting, but it will not take much for the reader to realise that this is no guarantee. Party leaders’ statements since, on Lisbon and a referendum, have produced the illusion that the Party can be trusted on this. We can expect more illusion and sophistry as we approach a general election I expect.
The Conservatives are unwilling to use plain language and prefer to use Lord Hurd’s ‘studied ambiguity’. David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, has learned well the lessons taught by this neighbour living in West Oxfordshire.
However, at a little known meeting* in Exeter on Friday 8th May, in answer to a question from a member of the audience, we have recorded by three people attending, a clear picture of the actual Conservative policy on Lisbon and a referendum. It is not a pretty picture:
FIRST INDEPENDENT WITNESS VERSION: ‘If the constitution has been ratified when we assume power, then it would be very difficult to do much about it because it will be part of EU law.’
SECOND INDEPENDENT WITNESS VERSION: ‘If the Treaty is in force by the time we get into office it will have already in place a President and other pieces of legislation, therefore we will have to live with that and try and change from within the areas that matter to Britain.’
THIRD INDEPENDENT WITNESS VERSION: ‘If the Treaty is in force by the time we get into office it will have already in place a President and other pieces of legislation, therefore we will have to live with that and try and change from within the areas that matter to Britain.’
Note: The identities of these independent witnesses are available if required.
All comfort disappears.
I would suggest that anyone with the opportunity to challenge Conservative politicians take them to task as a matter of urgency over Cameron’s statement. This must especially be done in the period leading up to the EU elections on 4th June.
THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT
Dave barnby
20th May 2009
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