I've been published on the Total Politics blog about the continued Campaign for a Referendum on Britain's continued membership of the European Union.
An extract,
"No government dependent on a democratic vote could possibly agree in advance to the sacrifices which any adequate plan for European Union must involve. The people must be led slowly and unconsciously into the abandonment of their traditional economic defences, not asked…'
So wrote Peter Thorneycroft, Edward Heath’s Tory colleague and friend.
French PM Raymond Barre was still more explicit in his contempt. “I have never understood why public opinion about European ideas should be taken into account at all,” he said.
Such autocracy in the face of democratic will has characterised the European project from the outset. The Commission, from which 75% of our laws emanate, is unelected. The Parliament is an impotent charade.
In 1975, our parents were asked if they fancied being members of a common market. We have never been asked whether we wanted to surrender the power of the people in Parliament, the supremacy of our own Courts or a huge proportion of our GDP and natural resources.
It is a tenet of natural law that there can be no constitutional change without plebiscite. Our constitution has been bulldozed without permission."
The full blog can be found on the Total Politics blog here
The European Parliament today welcomed Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (pictured) to the chamber this morning following the presentation of the programme of the Danish Presidency of the council of the European Union 2012. If you would like to read in full the 62 page document, it is available on the following link:
Although yesterday we saw the appointment of the new president of the Parliament in the shape of Martin Schulz, Denmark are now taking their turn in being the Chair of the European Council.
The EU's 27 Member States take it in turn to chair the Council for a period of six months each. During this six-month period, the Presidency chairs meetings at every level, proposes guidelines and draws up the compromises needed for the Council to take decisions. In the interests of continuity of Council business, the six-monthly presidencies work together closely in groups of three. These three-Presidency teams draw up a joint programme of Council work over an 18-month period. Only one Council configuration is not chaired by the six-monthly presidency: the Foreign Affairs Council, which, since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, has been chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Since 1 December 2009 this post has been held by Ms Catherine Ashton. Roughly twenty working parties in the foreign affairs field also have a permanent chairman appointed by the High Representative.
Madam Prime Minister,You take on the Presidency of the EU at a time when Unacceptable behaviour threatens democratic principles. Such Behaviour has become endemic and institutionalised in the European Union. We have seen in recent months elected leaders being bullied out of office and replaced by unelected technocrats by an over dominant, German leader, and her French poodle!
With a possible new treaty on the way, the EU apparatchiks are desperately looking to find a way to include all 27 countries without a need for referenda. So much for democracy! No wonder people across Europe are rioting, the message is there for all to see, but the EU turns its head away
You again hold the Presidency at a decisive moment - the possible demise of the Euro. At a time of crisis and uncertainty, the EU is looking to the Danish Presidency for a strong lead. How telling it is that it is a country from outside the Eurozone that is taking the helm. The EU is looking to the IMF to help bail out the troubled Euro. How telling it is that the UK, a country from outside the Eurozone, ridiculed and threatened here in December is being asked to prop up the IMF at this time.
