Jim Murphy

Dear Readers of Blog!brIt’s n-o-t an “EU Constitution”! The Lisbon Reform Treaty is what it says it is: a treaty in respect of International Relations of democratic nationstates – the 27 EU member-states. Neither was the ‘Constitutional Treaty’ that evolved out of the ‘Convention for the Future of Europe’. Until rejected by France though was signed by President Jaques Chirac referendum, then by the Netherlands one, it couldn’t be resurrected in an equivalent form. Immediately its supporters as “a Constitution” and its scepto-phobics as “a Constitution” were media-mantraing in opposite directions of future-hopes via Oracle of Delphi, the as-offered treaty was feared completely lost. Instead of being neat summary of original EC to EU status-quo, but with facilities to assure necessary agreed processes for an EU with 27 or more future member-states, and with harmless Euro, anthem and a flag thrown in cum preambles, “the EU” had to agree on reforms to existing EU Treaties, its Institutions and its democratic deficits. So these, sans any ‘EUrope Constitution’ element, are now being reformed via EU democratic competences.brHenceforth it becomes incumbent on all concerned to re-formulate: the UK in EU is ever governed by ‘The Queen in Parliament’. Not by superficial claims that the EU’s Reform Treaty has equivalent significance with the or any “EU Constitution”. I would add: nor by politico-vested claims to represent ‘the nation’; nor by media pro-referenda propagandas; nor for that matter by YouGov select respondents - thinking at the drop of a grassroots hat. Thus my understanding of the present United Kingdom’s own still unwritten Constitution, if following its meaning.br

Posted by Stefan Peter. on March 08, 2008 at 03:00 PM GMT #

I am glad to see you confirm "we only ever have referenda on matters that are constitutional."brbrThe European Communities Act is a 'constitutional statute'. That was the High Court ruling by Lord Justice Laws in the case against the Metric Martyrs, which happened after the EU's last treaty - the Nice Treaty. brbrConsequently any attempt to amend the ECA, such as the Lisbon Treaty, is also quite obviously 'constitutional'. brbrSo where's our referendum?brbrToday I see that Gordon Brown's idea to reduce VAT on environmentally-friendly goods has been rejected by the EU. brbrIt's clearly a good idea. Shame you'll be prevented from pursuing it by our real government in Brussels. brbrNot a terribly auspicious start to 'doing more on climate change', wouldn't you say? brbrIf only you and your colleagues who we have elected to govern were actually still in charge ... brbrWhy you don't seem to want to govern but instead hand ever more decision-making over to the EU is the really confusing question in the whole EU issue. brbrPerhaps you're all happy merely with 'in office but not in power'. I'm not sure Britain has the governing class it deserves, or needs.br

Posted by Stuart Coster on March 14, 2008 at 02:05 PM GMT #