Jun 22 2007
What’s so difficult about saying “No”? Why we need a referendum.
I called my book on the Euro "Just say No".
We won that argument, because we forced the promise of a referendum from Tony Blair. Once he worked out he couldn’t ever win one, he accepted Gordon Brown’s advice and slid out of his commitment to introduce the currency. Once the EU got used to the idea that we weren’t going to surrender the popund any time soon, they turned to trying to take away our rights to self government in other areas instead.
When pressure from the Conservative Opposition in the House, and other pressure through the media, forced the promise of a referendum on the Constitution it looked as if we had an efective block on the transfer of more powers. This time a Europhile government ??decided to learn from??its defeat over the currency. We will now be told if the so-called "red lines" are not breached, the resulting Treaty is nothing like the Constitution, so there is no need of a referendum.
No wonder, in Gordon Brown’s words, people have no trust in??politics. Polling shows 80% of the public want a referendum on any new Treaty. Polling shows the Conservative’s policy of demanding a referendum is the most popular policy we have announced.
You need to be 53 years old to have voted in the one and only referendum on the EEC/EU so far held. Those of us who voted (when I was very young!) now learn that many deeply regret casting their vote in favour of the EEC, as they believed the assurances given at the time that it would not damage the UK’s right to self government and was merely a trading arrangement. As one who did not believe that baloney from the then Labour government and voted "No" it is not satisfactory to discover that many who did vote "Yes" feel they were misled by the politicians of the day.
As many over age 53 would like the chance to remedy their mistake in voting "Yes", and as many who are under 53 want a vote because they do?? not see why their lives should be dictated to by a vote held so long ago in a very different country in very different circumstances, the case for a vote is overwhelming.
Gordon Brown is in a hole over this. There are two simple ways out. The easiest way is to tell Tony Blair to say "No". Why is the EU wasting its time and our money discussing another power grab, when its plans are so unpopular in France, Poland ??and Holland as well as in the UK? Tony Blair should say at the summit that there are more pressing problems for the EU to deal with - like the failure of the world trade talks. The mess over trade and agriculture is eloquent testimony to why we do not want them running more things on our behalf.
The only other course is for Gordon Brown to honour the promise of a referendum on the new Treaty. Then the British people can have its say. If those of us who do not more powers??for the EU win,?? we force a renegotiation of our whole position, around an agenda of returning powers to the UK. If we lose, I for one?? will accept the verdict of the people, just as I had to in 1975.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Like you, I voted against Britain’s entry into what was then called the Common Market. I had attended numerous meetings and through questioning political proponents of British membership had realised that their enthusiasm was based not on the economic arguments they articulated but a political agenda. This agenda they preferred to keep to themselves and consequently the whole concept “sold” to the British people was based on a lie, a complete deception. Little has changed in the intervening years other than this deceit has become more transparent and the name changed to European Union to reflect the reality. Little by little our rights to democratic self determination have been ceded to Brussels. This weekend we are witnessing a re-run of the charade that takes place whenever these meetings take place. The outcome is always the same, more power given to the EU. This is wholly undemocratic. Who gave any British Prime Minister permission to give away our democratic rights? As for the prospect of a referendum on this so called treaty, what makes you seriously believe that if one were held and a “No” vote resulted, that this would force a renegotiation of our whole position, around an agenda of returning powers to the UK”? Although desirable, the very suggestion would bring accusations from your opponents that you are using such a referendum for a different purpose. Which brings me to my final point - is the Conservative Party pledging to renegotiate a return of powers to the UK if elected to government or is the basic lie to be allowed to continue and the few powers left to us be given over to this unelected, undemocratic body leaving us disenfranchised citizens of a European dictatorship.
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John, I fear for my children. They are being sold down the river and I can’t do anything about it. What sort of world are they going to live in when the EU rules every aspect of their lives? Emigration seems to be the only option.
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answer: … and is pledged to repatriate powers once in government
How far? The EU has been happily milking the UK powers for years, so a return to where we were the day before yesterday is not going to make any change to the better. Cameron telling the EU that he is not in favour of a superstate, is not going to impress them either.
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