As one of your constituents I have to ask you if you really believe that the present ConDem government take us all for blithering idiots? As I don't have to remind you a huge number of voters were disgusted that all three major parties reneged on their pre-election promises to give the voters a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, that was nothing more than a revamp of the Constitutional treaty that had been overwhelmingly rejected by France and the Netherlands and, in its revamped form, Ireland. As a sop to this reneging on Mr Cameron's "cast iron promise", the government came up with "The European Union Act 2011". Now, at its very first test, as you will read below, the government have reneged again. How on earth do you expect the voters to believe a word that any Minister in this administration utters? With this record do you really think that either the Conservatives or their LibDem colleagues will ever win another election? Yours in sorrow, "Now you have power to veto EU changes in referendum." "With so much else going on, many will not have noticed that a radical new law was passed by Parliament on Wednesday night. The European Union Act 2011 will be the most important piece of legislation on how we handle the EU passed by any British government since we joined the then-EEC." "This law hands back democratic control of the way the EU is developing to the British electorate." Minister for Europe comments on first use of the European Union Act 2011 13 October 2011 Minister for Europe David Lidington explains why the first use of the European Union Act 2011 does not require a referendum in the UK. This Treaty change will provide a solid legal basis for euro area members to set up the European Stability Mechanism to provide financial assistance to euro area countries in crisis. The Foreign Secretary has today laid a statement before Parliament under the terms of the European Union Act 2011. In it, he states his opinion that the EU Treaty change Decision does not fall within section 4 of the EU Act and no referendum is required in the UK. Speaking today the Minister for Europe said: „This statement is the first stage in the enhanced public and Parliamentary scrutiny of EU Treaty changes introduced under the provisions of the EU Act 2011. As this Treaty change Decision relates to a provision that only applies to euro area Member States, it does not fall within section 4 of the Act and there is no requirement for a referendum. „The UK supports the euro area‚s stated commitment to do what it takes to ensure the financial stability of the euro area as a whole. The establishment of the ESM is part of that response. It is important that national approval procedures of this Treaty change now take place. If ratified by all 27 Member States, this will enable the permanent stability mechanism to be established by the euro area members as planned. „Today, the Foreign Secretary has laid a statement before Parliament to the effect that, in his opinion, the decision made at the European Council of 24/25 March 2011 to amend Article 136 TFEU does not fall within section 4 of the Act and no referendum is required in the UK.‰ The Minister for Europe's latest video blog explains the act in more detail. Further information Read the full text of the statement laid in Parliament by the Foreign Secretary
Monday, 17 October 2011
So much for the "referendum lock".
Hague in the Sunday Telegraph, July 17th:
Posts
