Oct 13 2007
A suggested follow up for a Labour adviser about the EU
To: Prime Minister
From: Senior Political Adviser
I have not heard back from the officials about your response to my memo, but I was pleased to see you demanding stronger red lines in briefing prior to attending the EU meeting. You may recall I felt that was a crucial first step to try to head off more Tory led trouble on this difficult issue. Since I wrote the Euroscpetic sites and analysts have gone further in trying to establish their case that the red lines will not work, and in pointing out that some important powers are surrendered without any red line defence. As we cannot count on the Murdoch press on this issue we need to be careful about these ideas gaining general currency.
I promised you a more detailed note on which issues you should highlight to demand a better deal. I suggest:
1. Justice and Home Affairs. The latest draft goes a long way to try to prevent us using the opt in arrangement we negotiated. This is very sensitive territory, and we should demand a much stronger endorsement of our right to choose in which areas we accept EU common policy.
2. The Protocol protecting our position on the Charter of Fundamental Rights is weak. Howver, this Charter is much more popular on our side, so I would suggest you continue to deny the significance of the Charter and make this a dividing issue with the Tories, accusing them of wanting to take rights away from people through limiting the effect of this Charter in the UK. You should be aware, however, that the right to conduct a business could upset some Unions defending public monopoly interests, and some of the justice clauses could limit the freedom of the UK to impose stiff sentences in certain cases.
3. The declaration on Foreign and defence policy is virtually worthless. Under the cloak of this your predecessor agreed to eleven areas of majority voting in foreign and defence matters. The UK as you have often said needs to be able to act independently. You should dig in on this issue, especially as our opponents could sensationalise it as losing our seat on the UN Security Council and losing control over war and peace.
4.The "emergency brake" on social security harmonisation can be circumvented by direct rights offered to migrants under the new Treaty. Given your tough rhetoric recently on "British jobs for British workers" and your wish to cut the spending on "economic failure" by getting more people off benefits, this set of proposals could limit your room to do as you wish in this difficult area. The UK used to have an emergency brake on all EU matters, called the Luxembourg compromise, but this fell off owing to a lack of use.
5. You should make a new red line over energy policy. The UK is the only oil producer in the EU and could easily find its producer interests outvoted by the others. Oil is still a source of revenue in the future, and is a cause of dispute with the SNP. We could be vulnerable to their counter-attack if we lose control and then the EU does something they do not like. They would soon reverse their generally pro EU positon to exploit the issue.
I hope these are helpful. I do think you need to escalate the clash, and to be prepared to amaze people by holding a referendum if the other EU member states have not taken our demands seriously. This would win the Murdoch press back and boost poll ratings substantially. You could then put the pressure on the Tories to explain what they would do differently.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Can someone please answer the following question for me.
If the PM swears allegiance to HM the Queen when accepting the post of PM, why can he not be charged with treason if he tries to transfer sovereignty to Europe?
Cliff, this is hardly a helpful comment in the real world. Her Majesty had no choice about being born Her Majesty in the real world and has no power to change our constitution. We live in a democracy and Her Majesty signs on the dotted line when our elected representatives/laws/conventions/ say she must do as such.
We need to elect a new government if you ask me. Queen Elizabeth II stood up to the podium we asked of her and is doing a good job. She spends a great deal of her time promoting charity events and good causes into her 80’s.
In my humble opinion the problems stem from the electorate becoming too far removed from the law making process, the ‘we know what’s best for you’ culture in the public sector and the excessive adding of carriages to the gravy train that is ‘government’.
Our treason laws are old and incompatable with globalised free civilisation. It’s a bit like saying we should have a go at bar staff who don’t declare their tips to HMRC every year - unconstructive.
Steven_L:
I am a supporter of the monarchy. I don’t really care whether my quetion is “helpful” or otherwise.
I agree that the people of this country are too far removed from the law making process and I too am sick and tired of the notion that “Nanny knows best” when dealing with the electorate, which is the norm for the Labour government of this country.
My comment relates to whether the “elected” government can effectively change the sovereingty of our nation. As I understand it, the government has power under the royal perogative. Does that power extend to doing away with the source of that power?
I admire HM QE2, and believe that she has done more than any elected politician to promote this nation of ours. She works hard and without the right to reply to some of the unhelpful comments that the republican brigade make.
As I understand it, bar staff and indeed barbers are required to declare their tips to the taxman. I recall that hairdressers did in the past actually have their personal tax allowance reduced to take into account tips….I do not know if this is still the case.
Just because a law is old, does not mean it is not a good law.
Reply: Yes, an elected government does have the power to give away our powers of self government, if it has a Parliamenatry majority to do so. All the power of the EU in the UK dervies from an Act of Parliament. it is most important this remains true so we can get powers back by Act of Parliament when this country finally votes in a Euroscpetic government to sort out the problem.
Thank you John for your helpful reply. That is all I wanted….a straight answer to a simple question.
gordon brown has said that the treaty is unacceptable to the UK unless he is granted his red lines. If he doesn’t get his red lines he will veto the treaty.
However, michael connarty (labour Chairman of the labour dominated committee overseeing eu proposals) has said that the red lines expire in 5 years time even if they are granted now.
Doesn’t this mean that in 5 years time the UK will be subject to a treaty in a condition that brown would veto now?
Reply: Yes