David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Saturday 03 October, 2009

Good news from Dublin

All 27 countries of the EU have now completed what Carl Bildt called in, a phone call with me today, the democratic stages of the Lisbon Treaty i.e formal stages are all that remains.  Its good for Britain and good for Europe.

Remember we get extra votes in the Council of Ministers as a result of this. And Europe gets structures of governance fit for the modern world - in foreign policy a single High Representative not a confused structure. This is a real achievement for the Irish government - at a time of economic recession they have bucked the trend of people voting no in referenda.

Apology

My discovery of twitter has interrupted blog service. I haven't quite managed to figure out the balance of the two media. Will try for a bit.

Posted at 19:51 03 October 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[12]

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In what way is ignoring the votes of the French and Dutch, rehashing the constitution as the Lisbon Treaty, ignoring the no vote of the Irish and forcing them to vote again to get it right and denying everyone else the right to vote on such a significant treaty for national sovereignty even remotely democratic? By referring to the "democratic stages" you are just taking the mick out of those of us who are outside of your powerful "intellectual elite" that rules its subjects without consent, confident that it knows what is best for everyone else. This tyranny cannot last forever.

Posted by Paul Buddery on October 04, 2009 at 10:09 AM BST #

Yes, the UK gets extra votes in the Council of Ministers. Now, thanks to you, if the UK objects to an EU proposal that it could currently veto but not in the future under the Lisbon Treaty, the proposal will still be passed, just with a larger dissenting vote. That will really show them as they ride roughshod over the UK's interests. You display your true colours by declaring that the vote is a real achievement for the Irish government rather than the Irish people, you really don't believe in democracy, do you?

Posted by Paul Buddery on October 04, 2009 at 10:53 AM BST #

god, the EU has been taking a hammering over the last couple of years. referendum's don't work. people take general elections seriously, the political ground beneath our feat moves when there's a change in government. but for all the right's decades long now insistence that with each new treaty this is going to be it, the absolute end, abolishment of, end of British history as we know it, might as well all leave the country now 'cause there isn't going to be a country just 5 yrs from now because of: Lisbon/Nice/Amsterdam/Maastricht/Single European Act/joining the EEC, etc, etc, it doesn't happen.

Posted by sarahsmith232 on October 05, 2009 at 08:57 AM BST #

so people don't really bother when there's a referendum on an EU treaty. they use it as an excuse to bash the government about whatever passes for their latest annoyance, like for e.g 'what you gonna do about these bins'. it is right that these matters should be left to parliamentarians and their battalions of experts on EU law/policy to look at, discuss and decide whether it is in Britain's best est to move forward in this way. but you wont stand up for Europe. you're letting the right have it all their own way. the other day someone was saying to me about 'all these immigrants'. then said something like 'brussels tells us who we have to have and then we get flooded'. people are blaming the EU for this disgraceful, dispicably out of control level of immigration you've allowed to happen.

Posted by sarahsmith232 on October 05, 2009 at 09:02 AM BST #

what the hell happened to your policy on Europe!? it's been the worst of all possible worlds. decisions made at national level being allwed to be passed off as the EU's fault just so Labour can sneak away from the blame. why can't Labour get that their immigration policies are really not acceptable? why can't they get that they are cruel? and why on earth can they not get anywhere near understanding that they are political suicide? what is wrong with them. oh, and how does a person connect to the twitter site? i put in 'david miliband' and all that came up were posts by women writing about how very much they really like to . . ahem, well, anyway, do things to DM. can a member of staff either email me with or post the twitter connection. thanks.

Posted by sarahsmith232 on October 05, 2009 at 09:11 AM BST #

It's 1-1 now between the yes and no camps. Why not do one more vote so we have a best of 3 result?

Posted by Alan on October 05, 2009 at 01:51 PM BST #

Respected Sir, treaties and summits have always played deciding roles at international level; such role has been played by LISBON TREATY too. This treaty will create a strong EU, which will play influencing role at international level. Sir, one such type of treaty is the demand of the hour for love, peace and unity in the AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN and INDIA region; such treaty will change the fate of this region in the positive way, and will provide best lives to peoples of this region. Sir, i hope leaders like you can initiate peace in this region. The NEW EUROPIAN UNION will have an unique President like Mr. Tonny Blair with a strong cabinet. Congratulations. [Prabhat Misra, District Savings Officer, Etawah, U.P., India]

Posted by Prabhat Misra on October 05, 2009 at 02:27 PM BST #

"the democratic stages of the Lisbon Treaty"... rehash the abandoned constitution... ignore the election promises of the party to hold a referendum on the resulting treaty despite that it is almost all of the abandoned document... ignore the promise for a '"line by line" examination of the treaty in Parliament... Whip MPs to take the party line instead of allowing a free vote... make the Irish vote twice because the first vote didn't come up with the desired result... install an undemocratically elected president... There is more democracy in Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Iran.

Posted by Paul E on October 05, 2009 at 05:50 PM BST #

Good atricle indeed. thanks for sharing

Posted by Michael Jordan Shoes on October 06, 2009 at 08:18 AM BST #

Dear Mr Miliband Should it be possible for you to give up twitter and return to your blog, I'd be grateful for an update on HMG's official position on Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo. Shaker Aamer has been held in Guantánamo Bay since 2002. He is a legal permanent resident of the UK, married to a British national, with four British children living in London. Shaker has long been cleared for release by the United States. He has never been charged by the United States with a crime and has never received a trial. Can we please ask President Obama to return him now? Yours sincerely Jeremy Putley

Posted by Jeremy Putley on October 06, 2009 at 01:28 PM BST #

Sir, I am very happy to congratulate you and the citizens of EU for becoming the citizens of a very strong EU, after the implementation of LISBON TREATY. Now, the EU will be a strong "UNION OF STATES" with a very bright future and a big responsibility. [ Prabhat Misra, District Savings Officer, Etawah, U.P., India ]

Posted by Prabhat Misra on October 06, 2009 at 02:24 PM BST #

Essentially the political elite of Europe including HMG simply don't trust the people of Europe and I speak as a supporter of our membership of the EU.

Posted by OwenE2 on October 06, 2009 at 10:22 PM BST #

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