Give us a Referendum, Gordon!
There are two reasons why the people of Shepway, and indeed the whole of the UK, should have a voice on the EU Reform Treaty, otherwise known to you and me, and just about everyone else except Gordon Brown, as the ‘EU Constitution’.
The first is that it is a fundamental cornerstone of our democratic system that no further powers should be transferred to the EU (or any other foreign capital) without the express consent of the British people. This Treaty brings about one of the biggest handovers of power to Brussels since the EU was founded. To do this without our consent is profoundly anti-democratic.
The second reason is quite simply that Gordon Brown and his Government promised us a referendum just before the 2005 general election. I believe that when a politician makes a promise before an election, he should keep that promise after the election. Failure to do so breaks the trust between government and governed, and brings our whole political system into disrepute. How will anyone be able to trust anything Gordon Brown tells us ever again?
Of course, he says this Treaty is totally different from the old Constitution. But that is not the view of Margot Wallstrom, a European Commissioner, who said “It’s essentially the same proposal as the old Constitution.” Or of Jose Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, who said “A great part of the content of the European Constitution is captured in the new treaties.” Bertie Ahern, the Irish Taoiseach, was even more specific and quantified the similarity. He said “They haven’t changed the substance - 90 per cent of it is still there.” And after studying the new EU Reform Treaty, the Parliamentary European Scrutiny Committee concluded that it is “substantially equivalent to the Constitutional Treaty.”
It is quite clear. This is not just the EU Constitution in all but name. As far as Gordon Brown is concerned, it is the Constitution that dare not speak its name.
I proposed a motion for debate at Shepway’s October Full Council meeting which called on Gordon Brown to honour his Party’s manifesto commitment and hold a referendum. The debate took place on Wednesday 31st October 2007. My motion, which was seconded by my colleague Cllr Philip Martin (Conservative, Harvey Central ward) was approved with cross-party support. The Council wrote to the Prime Minister letting him know of Shepway’s demand for a referendum.
The full text of Rory’s motion was:
“This Council calls on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to honour the commitment given in the Labour Party’s 2005 general election manifesto and give Shepway’s residents a voice on the EU Reform Treaty by holding a national referendum.”
November 2007
“ I believe that when a politician makes a promise before an election, he should keep that promise after the election. ”
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