So we are not to have a new Government until February 26. Furthermore, until that time all but one member of that Government is occupying their position illegally. Of course, I am here referring not to the silly little joustings between Messrs Brown and Cameron, as they fight for the right to run our provincial government here in Britain. Our real government, in that it now makes most of our laws, resides in Brussels, and on January 1, following the coming into force of the European Constitution (aka the Lisbon Treaty), we were due to get a new set of European Commissioners. But with the exception of its president, José Manuel Barroso, none of the appointees can take up their posts until hearings have been completed in the European Parliament. In the meantime, therefore, we continue to be ruled by the old commissioners who, under the rules, should have retired on October 31. This means that 26 of them are still in office illegally. Lord Kinnock, the former vice-president of the commission, claimed in the Lords – as I reported in November – that this was perfectly legal under Article 216 of the original Treaty of Rome. But that deals solely with commissioners found guilty of "serious misconduct", who must be "compulsorily retired" because they no longer "fulfil the conditions required". Ironically, this applies precisely to these commissioners, who have stayed on longer than the rules allow. It is curious how the same people who expect the rest of us to obey the thousands of laws they produce each year, on pain of fines or imprisonment, seem quite happy, when it suits them, to disobey the law themselves.Britain is ruled by 26 illegal Brussels sprouts
The EU's Commissioners are still occupying their posts illegally, says Christopher Booker
Sunday, 10 January 2010
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