Is this really how the EU wishes to be viewed?

My posting on this blog's forerunner "Ironies" of 2nd August 2003, titled "Democracy, Tyranny, Switzerland, Britain and the EU" posted almost exactly four years ago seems now worth re-reading and is therefore linked from here. Scroll to the beginning of the linked month. On that same theme thee Wall Street Journal today has the following article available to subscribers, linked here.

Disproportionately Undemocratic

By Roland Vaubel

Word Count: 996

The European Union's democratic deficit is notorious. Its parliament is probably the world's only elected chamber without the right to initiate legislation. It does not even have a say over all the laws passed by the Council, which is composed of government representatives. The right to propose new legislation rests with the Commission, a body of appointed bureaucrats. The national parliaments have basically no say over EU matters. Organized interest groups, on the other hand, are more powerful at the European than at the national level -- most of all the agricultural lobby. Referendums are rare; when they do take ...

• THE FULL WSJ.com ARTICLE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.

One brave Labour MP vs Anti-democratic Brown

Gisela Stuart MP continues her pressure (started in Parliament last week as was reported on this blog here) on the Labour leader, Gordon Brown, to grant the people a referendum on the new EU Reform Treaty aka the EU Constitution in today's Sunday Telegraph, linked here. To his shame the still leader of the opposition David Cameron, seems complicit in trying to get this treaty through due to his lack of proper opposition and the glaring omission of refuting the government's claim about what the first paragraph of the European Council's supposedly unalterable mandate actually says, as may be read here and again here with all appropriate links.

Our ill-informed MPs

I posted yesterday on the first rate speech made by Gisela Stuart MP on some areas of the confidence trick that is the EU Reform Treaty. One aspect of that speech, which in retrospect I find really disturbing, but was not included in the extract I quoted is the following: Now we have the new treaty. In the past two and a half hours I have managed to skim through the first 26 pages of the 118-page document, which is still so far an unofficial translation. Disregarding the fact that it seems incredible that an English version was not made available at the same time as the French, pointing to a further conspiracy to hold the IGC and bury the whole topic entirely during the period of the British Parliament's summer recess, one must query why the MP who represented New Labour during the Constitutional Convention of Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was so ill informed, apparently only learning the content of the Treaty two and a half hours before Parliament's adjournment debate. The mandate that came out of the European Council meeting which the EU Reform Treaty will exactly follow according to the instructions made on that Council's conclusion was available on the internet as can be shown by my posts on this blog here on Sunday 15th July linked here and again here and once more on Monday 16th July, linked from here. How is it that an ordinary member of the public with no research sources other than the internet can retrieve essential information gravely affecting the democracy and assets of the nation (one of my posts was about Blair having given up control of our oil and gas which I have still to see reported elsewhere) when our Members of Parliament seem to be happy to be be quietly left in the dark waiting for the English version of this dreadful Treaty to be provided by the executive only as they leave for their two or more months summer vacation?

EU Parliamentary President's letter exposes Brown's fraud

The Daily Telegraph, linked here, today reports the existence of a letter from Hans-Gert Poettering to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing confirming that the EU Reform Treaty is indeed the Constitutional Treaty reborn in a deliberately confusing new format. If a copy appears on the web I will paste a link here.

An outstanding Labour MP

The following is the end of the speech by Labour MP Gisela Stuart yesterday in Parliament. It is Labour MPs such as Ms Stuart who now hold the fate of British Democracy in their hands.

The EU Reform Treaty is so appalling that to adopt the Conservative Party approach of demanding a referendum having seen the earlier rejection by the French and Dutch completely disregarded is to completely ignore reality. This Treaty should be voted down in Parliament, not just in Westminster but across the entire EU. It will take many brave Labour MPs to ignore their whip, but any MP doing their duty to their constituents will be honour bound so to do.

3.6pm Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab):

(Conclusion only here, read the entire speech from this link to Hansard) "The new treaty also claims to give more power to national Parliaments, but that is extremely misleading. What it does is extraordinary. For the first time, the Union tries to put a duty on national Parliaments to behave in a particular way. We do not bind our successor Parliaments, yet we are being asked to accept a document that says:

“National Parliaments shall contribute actively to the good functioning of the Union”.

There is a whole list of ways in which we are supposed to fulfil that role—we will be informed, we will be seeing to things, we will taking part, and we will be notified, but will have no teeth other than in facilitating the functioning of the Union. I am sorry, but I have never perceived having a duty to serve the Union to be my role as a national parliamentarian—I thought that it was supposed to be the other way round.

The document still contains the citizens initiative whereby more than 1 million people across a number of member states are being given the right to initiate legislation—something that national Parliaments have not done.

I suggest to the Deputy Leader of the House that the Government should stop going on about what percentage of the treaty is what it was before and look at it properly. The Government say that the red lines that we have secured mean that we do not need a referendum, but those matters were already protected in the constitutional treaty on which we were prepared to have a referendum—nothing has changed. Opt-outs are continually politically vulnerable to pressure every time a crisis occurs. This is now a question of trust. It is a question of having given a commitment to a referendum on a document that we say is good for Britain. We should ask the people to endorse that. If we are so confident that it is good, we should have the confidence to ask the people.

The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Europe deny that the treaty is substantial enough for us to be bound by that promise. Are they being deliberately disingenuous or are they ill-informed? I suggest to them some light summer reading—read the treaty, in English or in French. They can then come back and we can decide which one of the two interpretations is correct."

British voters encountering their MPs during the summer recess - especially at the party conferences must make clear to their MPs the consequences of throwing away the powers of the British Parliament.

Treasures from the Threads- Number Five

I am now living in North Cyprus. I was a police officer for 25 years and my wife was a nurse working in the NHS. My oldest daughter is an occupational therapist and her sister is a G.P. both are planning to go to Australia in the near future. My youngest daughter is planning to move to New Zealand. I have been a lifelong Tory voter and I have watched in disbelief as the most corrupt labour government has destroyed the British way of life but when the Tory party voted in The Boy Dave that was the last straw. That's why I am here in Cyprus and the rest of my family are emigrating. Posted by Jock m. on July 25, 2007 9:03 AM

Floods and the EU - A coincidence I hope!

Around midday today I blogged about the EU funding for Germany to recover from their 2002 summer flooding (see the posting immediately beneath this). At around two o'clock this afternoon this website was visited by somebody using a computer in "parliament.uk". At four this afternoon Sky News announced the Government was considering asking the EU for funds to assist in recovery from the floods.

Remember Germany's Flooding in August 2002

I quote from this link, titled 'FLOODED EUROPE FORVER CHANGED' There are many other similar ones with pictures of then EU Commission President Prodi rushing to pledge aid:

On Sunday, the European Commission agreed on an aid package at a crisis meeting in Berlin called by Chancellor Schroeder and attended by leaders from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Commission President Romano Prodi.

President Prodi said the European Investment Bank would offer flooded countries millions of euros in loans. "This is a moment in which we have to show that true European solidarity exists," he said.

No exact figure has been put on the value of the package yet, but Germany is expected to receive some five billion euros.

IGC Commences

The outrageous statement from the EU Parliament requiring no changes be made during the IGC is linked here. The 277 page document presently only available in French has some English translations available from the EU Referendum blog, linked here.

German Formula 1 Grand Prix now European Grand Prix

This post is complete B******S for which I apologise, see comment reproduced below!!!! The march of the empire continues in even the strangest ways - but who so decreed that Germany could grab that title? Possibly the man who first reportedly bought Blair and Brown over cigarette advertising. Perhaps as a pathetic politicians 'quid pro quo' Wimbledon will in future be the European Tennis Championships - even if that were so where would be the the gain? I stand corrected, thanks to Anonemouse who posted this comment which I reproduce for ease of reference herewith: No, no, no this is not correct. The German grand Prix has not been renamed. The European grand prix has been running for over 10 years and has taken place in Germany, Spain and UK and i think others. Under the GP calendar some countries annual GP does not take place. The German GP is usually held at Hokenhiem and over the past couple of years the European GP has been held at the nurburgring . Under F1 calendar the German GP is not taking place this year and the nurburgring race cannot use the German GP name for legal reasons. The owner of the German GP name would not let it be used. Apologies to all my readers, serves me right for reporting on sport about which I know nothing!!!

EU gains UN Security Council rights from Britain

The matter has been raised by William Hague and reported in the Daily Telegraph, linked here. Quote - Provisions, drawn word for word from the old constitution, giving the EU "foreign minister" speaking rights from Britain's and France's UN seats will be included in a draft treaty to be presented to a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday, diplomats have confirmed - Unquote The disastrous showing of the Conservative Party in yesterday's two by-elections make an early break-up of that failed party increasingly urgent if any semblance of Britain's democracy is now to be salvaged! The refusal by the Crown Prosection Service to put on trial any in the Cash for Honours affair now also places a huge question mark over the entire British legal system while simultaneously dealing a body blow to political propriety had any still remained. The previously unknown CPS spokeswoman who publicly shouldered responsibility for this decision clearly lacked either the necessary seniority or authority. Shameful!

Constitutional changes - 'cosmetic' says Giscard

In spite of all the publicity surrounding yesterday's statement in the European Parliament by Valery Giscard d'Estaing the Conservative Leader used all six of his questions today on one comparatively minor topic - early prison releases. The following is a quote on VdGd'E is from the Euractiv report, linked here:

Speaking at the constitutional affairs committee on 17 July, the former Convention president said: ''In terms of content, the proposals remain largely unchanged. They are simply presented in a different way.'' He added: ''The reason is that the new text could not look too much like the constitutional treaty, so EU governments agreed on cosmetic changes to the constitution to make it easier to swallow.''

His remarks will reignite the debate on a referendum in the UK. British conservatives argue that the new Treaty seeks to reintroduce the draft EU Constitution ''by the back door''. Conservative MEP Timothy Kirkhope said: “The UK government stated that the new Treaty does not contain any constitutional element. I find it a cynical approach.''

He added: ''Giscard's comments today simply reinforce what every other European leader has said about this new Treaty – the Constitution is back. We will keep up the pressure on Gordon Brown to come clean with the British people and offer the referendum they were promised by this government.''

How is it possible that the leader of the Conservatives in the EU can suggest they are opposing the greatest deception of all time when his leader in Westminster refuses to confront the issue? Voters in Ealing and Sedgefield tomorrow are presently the only ones able to immediately fully register their disgust with the treachery of the main political parties in Britain. Others turn will come!

Brown in Berlin vetoes Referendum

The following is from today's The Independent, linked here: Mr Brown, who was in Berlin yesterday for dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel, said it would be possible to make rapid progress on setting a date for the treaty agreed in principle at last month's Brussels summit. "We will not require a referendum on this. It is something that can be worked on closely by Parliament. I think we can make progress quickly on this," he said. The new PM is in Paris this evening, presumably receiving further instructions from his other new boss - President Sarkozy.

An Anticompetitive Europe Must Not Rise

The following is an extract from an article under the above title by Declan Ganey in Business Week, linked here:

The Will of the People

Yes, we spent most of the past hundred years (as well as centuries before that) in internecine blood baths. But this is our opportunity to tell the world, "We're back, we're better, and we're ready to compete to make the world a better place." On this voyage, only the citizens of Europe can forge the way. The Brussels elite must be held accountable at the ballot box. We have come too far for Presidents to be appointed rather than elected. If this elite is to govern, and right now they do, they must subject themselves to the consent of Europe's citizenry. Without that, we are mere subjects.

Vaclav Havel once said, "Europe speaks to my head but says nothing to my heart." Too many leaders across Europe ignore the will of the people, insist on the resurrection of this undead constitution, and revert reflexively to introverted protectionist policies. In doing so, they drain hope, innovation, competitive strength, and faith in Europe, thus risking our collective future. As for the even more appalling version of a constitution now being passed off by Angela Merkel and friends as a reform treaty, I'd humbly suggest leaving it in the tomb to which the enlightened citizens of France and the Netherlands consigned it.

Andrew Marr - the EU's British Dr Goebbels

The Daily Telegraph yesterday reported that Lord Pearson, the UKIP peer had requested the BBC Trust investigate the 'Today' programme for pro-EU bias. The article is linked here. As posted below and elsewhere on this blog, the Sunday AM presenter, Andrew Marr, frequently allows Government ministers to make the most outrageous of statements without any attempt at correction or pursuit of their underlying truthfulness. Last Sunday's lie by David Miliband was the latest but most serious example of this devious propaganda. I have already quoted the conflicting statements with their appropriate links, but viewed in the context of the interview and the immediately following question from Marr, the conclusion is even more damaging particularly for Mr Marr and his employers the tax funded BBC. I quote from the BBC's own transcript, linked here:

ANDREW MARR: Well I'm going to press you a little bit further. When you say we're considering seriously all of our options that would include the full range of diplomatic responses that a country can make in this case?

DAVID MILIBAND: I'm just not going to get into it. It wouldn't be right. We've got a judicial process with integrity, with independence and we will defend that.

ANDREW MARR: We've had expulsions in the past.

DAVID MILIBAND: I'm not going to get into it.

ANDREW MARR: Okay.

DAVID MILIBAND: You can ..

ANDREW MARR: All right.

DAVID MILIBAND: .. however charming you are, it's important ..

ANDREW MARR: I'm doing my very best, but okay. You're going, but we'll be hearing more about that in the course of the coming week ...

DAVID MILIBAND: In due course.

ANDREW MARR: In due course. All right. It's been said about you that you are a keener European than some of the other holders of your post over the last few years.

Do you buy at all the argument that although there's been lots of changes made at the margins to what was the constitution, there is still something there which is big enough that it would require a referendum of the British people if it's going to be put through.

DAVID MILIBAND: In short, no. The first clause of the mandate that was agreed by twenty seven heads of government last month says the constitution has been abandoned. Not reformed. Not ameliorated. Abandoned.

We're not going to have a new constitution for Europe. We're amending the way Europe works to make it work better. And frankly we can get away from the institutional arguments and onto delivering what really matters about the environment, about climate change, about crime, about the economy.

That's what's going to matter. And I think that Europe has suffered more from a delivery deficit than a democratic deficit. And it's the delivery deficit that we have to rectify. And it's Europe making a difference for people in areas that are genuinely international that I think really, really is the focus of European policy.

ANDREW MARR: You sat through the Blair Cabinet. You're sitting in the Brown Cabinet. Is it different?

DAVID MILIBAND: Yeah, it is different. It's, it's a different group of people obviously... The interviewer was perfectly capable of pressing on the question of Russian expulsions, but did not skip a heartbeat to address the outrageous distortion by which New Labour plans to sell out the democracy of this country. The BBC should undertake an urgent inquiry into how this coup for complete disinformation was put out on their main politics lite Sunday morning show which is bound to leave millions of viewers totally misinformed on the status of this latest EU Treaty. Those involved in planning this exchange without follow-up, or it appears adequate research into the topic being raised, should be dismissed in disgrace. For clarity and ease of reference the first paragraph actually states the following as may be verified from this link on Page 16: Quote I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 1. The IGC is asked to draw up a Treaty (hereinafter called "Reform Treaty") amending the existing Treaties with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action. The constitutional concept, which consisted in repealing all existing Treaties and replacing them by a single text called "Constitution", is abandoned. The Reform Treaty will introduce into the existing Treaties, which remain in force, the innovations resulting from the 2004 IGC, [editors note...titled "Provisional consolidated version of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe" linked here] as set out below in a detailed fashion. Unquote

Amato admits Treaty is a confusing Con!

Open Europe has made this sickening audio video available from here and apparently also on You Tube.

The Lie of David Miliband Britain's dishonourable Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary

The transcript of yesterday's exchanges on the one question on the EU Reform Treaty put by Andrew Marr on the Sunday AM programme is as follows:

Quote

ANDREW MARR: .... It's been said about you that you are a keener European than some of the other holders of your post over the last few years.

Do you buy at all the argument that although there's been lots of changes made at the margins to what was the constitution, there is still something there which is big enough that it would require a referendum of the British people if it's going to be put through.

DAVID MILIBAND: In short, no. The first clause of the mandate that was agreed by twenty seven heads of government last month says the constitution has been abandoned. Not reformed. Not ameliorated. Abandoned.

We're not going to have a new constitution for Europe. We're amending the way Europe works to make it work better. And frankly we can get away from the institutional arguments and onto delivering what really matters about the environment, about climate change, about crime, about the economy.

That's what's going to matter. And I think that Europe has suffered more from a delivery deficit than a democratic deficit. And it's the delivery deficit that we have to rectify. And it's Europe making a difference for people in areas that are genuinely international that I think really, really is the focus of European policy.

Unquote

That statement may be verified from the BBC web page linked from here.

As I reported on this blog yesterday, the first clause of that mandate actually says the following:

Quote
I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

1. The IGC is asked to draw up a Treaty (hereinafter called "Reform Treaty") amending the existing Treaties with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action. The constitutional concept, which consisted in repealing all existing Treaties and replacing them by a single text called "Constitution", is abandoned. The Reform Treaty will introduce into the existing Treaties, which remain in force, the innovations resulting from the 2004 IGC, as set out below in a detailed fashion.
Unquote

Read more from yesterday's posting linked here.

Blair lost control of Britain's Oil and Gas

Note this provision from the instructions to the coming IGC: 3) In Article 100, replacement of paragraph 1 with the following: "1. Without prejudice to any other procedures provided for in the Treaties, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, may decide, in a spirit of solidarity between Member States, upon the measures appropriate to the economic situation, in particular if severe difficulties arise in the supply of certain products, notably in the area of energy." The Westminster Parliament's future role will only be the following: Title II - Provisions on democratic principles 7) Insertion of a new Article on the role of national parliaments in the Union reading as follows: "National parliaments shall contribute actively to the good functioning of the Union: a) through being informed by the institutions of the Union and having draft European legislative acts forwarded to them in accordance with the Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union; b) by seeing to it that the principle of subsidiarity is respected in accordance with the procedures provided for in the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; c) by taking part, within the framework of the area of freedom, security and justice, in the evaluation mechanisms for the implementation of the Union policies in that area, in accordance with Article [III-260], and through being involved in the political monitoring of Europol and the evaluation of Eurojust's activities in accordance with Articles [III-276 and III-273]; d) by taking part in the revision procedures of the Treaties, in accordance with Article [IV-443 and IV-444]: e) by being notified of applications for accession to the Union, in accordance with Article [49]; f) by taking part in the interparliamentary cooperation between national parliaments and with the European Parliament, in accordance with the Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union.". Note the sick joke of including this as Article 7 in a section supposed to be on democratic principles where the National Parliaments are the only remaining democratic institutions! Read it all from here. The Annex with the detailed mandate amendments starts at page sixteen.

Was Foreign Secretary Miliband truthful on Sunday AM?

When asked about a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty this morning, I heard David Miliband state something along the lines: 'The first words of the agreement read 'The EU Constitutional Treaty is abandoned" then going on to give the expected response that no referendum will be granted the British public. As usual the ineffectual interviewer Andrew Marr simply let this pass with not even an attempt at a follow-up question. But what does the controversial mandate available from page 16 onwards from this pdf link actually state? I quote from that document: Quote I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 1. The IGC is asked to draw up a Treaty (hereinafter called "Reform Treaty") amending the existing Treaties with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action. The constitutional concept, which consisted in repealing all existing Treaties and replacing them by a single text called "Constitution", is abandoned. The Reform Treaty will introduce into the existing Treaties, which remain in force, the innovations resulting from the 2004 IGC, as set out below in a detailed fashion. Unquote Miliband's assertion seems to me an outright lie. What is abandoned is "the constitutional concept" of replacing the earlier Treaties, the constitutional provisions passed by the 2004 IGC will instead be incorporated in the existing treaties, as the full text of the paragraph makes abundantly clear. Consider also in passing the intent of the words from that same paragraph "as well as the coherence of its external action" you cannot have external action without a common policy, and external here means foreign! The outcome of the 2004 IGC was titled "Provisional consolidated version of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe" linked here, therefore, if those provisions are now to be incorporated within the existing treaties the EU will have a Constitution, and as Commission President Barroso has pointed out - will effectively be an Empire - and Britain's new Foreign Secretary will be both a publicly proven liar and redundant. The BBC provides transcripts of the Sunday AM interviews and when that is available tomorrow I will post the exact words used by David Miliband here. A British Parliamentary briefing paper on the IGC 2004 still makes valuable reading and is available in pdf format from here.

Blackshirts take over Proms

The first night last evening concluded with Ludwig van Beethoven's ninth 'choral' symphony, a chilling moment in the present triumphalistic EU atmosphere.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, boosted by the Philharmonia Chorus were entirely in black - not just the lady musicians and choristers but all the men in blackshirts, suits and conventional neckties. At least the conductor Jírbé Beíohlávek had the conventional tails with touch of white. Paul Watkins as solo cellist for the Elgar piece sported white shirt and necktie but that had gone for the finale of Beethoven which of course included the anthem the EU has chosen to make its own.

It was an ominous moment indeed, and one that is to be repeated later in this prom season - I hoped somebody at a Kensington electricity sub-station would have been able to pull the plug on the Albert Hall at mid-point of the heavily loaded performance - perhaps that will occur when the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra return to repeat the symphony at the end of August, in which case the BBC possibly to meet its presumed EU loan provisions would, one might assume, have to schedule three performances next year!

If the 'Ode to Joy' is to become a regular feature of the First Night of the Proms then maybe some genuine promenaders should attend and in view of the disgraceful machinations being planned over the EU Constitution the illustration above is a suggested flag they may then choose to wave.

Barroleon

With thanks to Anonemouse, linked here.

Barroso claims EU an Empire

The Portuguese President of the EU Commission now follows up the Portuguese President of the EU's claim that the 'mandate' cannot be changed by any single nation state by stating the end result is an 'Empire' . Read the EU Observer report linked here. New PM the Scottish Gordon Brown (who will unveil a new programme today mainly on issues not affecting his constituents) is presently being interviewed on the BBC Today programme, naturally enough was not be quizzed on any of these crucial EU matters. The Times even manages some vaguely EU sceptic reporting on this surprising and perhaps fortuitous admission, read it here.

Brown's duplicity on EU Reform Treaty

Even the leader writers on the Daily Telegraph are finally beginning to twig the extent of Gordon Brown's deep involvement in the selling out of British sovereignty to the EU. Their comment today, linked here, concludes as follows: Mr Brown's altered demeanour is alarming: either he is simply out of his depth in the EU summitry game or he never was the adamant protector of national sovereignty he had led us to believe. In either case, the need for a referendum on what may eventually be called the "Lisbon Treaty" is greater than ever. At least the Telegraph mentions the EU President's visit and press conference, the rest of the media seem to have ignored the visit of our effective ruler for the next six months! The detail of the press conference is on the Downing Street web pages, linked here. From that the EU President spells out in absolute clarity the impossibility of changing any detail of the mandate, on which this blog warned for months, and which intent was and IS being ignored, not least by the new British PM in his subsequent reply. What Socrates stated is surely impossible to deny, but has it any legality?....

Mr Socrates:

I think that we have a very clear and precise mandate and it will be very easy to pass from the mandate to the treaty. To compromise things, the agreement with Great Britain was very clear during the Council so I will not anticipate any problems with Great Britain during the preparation of the next treaty. The importance is to do the job very quickly in order to pass the mandate to the treaty. We have a mandate to transform the mandate in a treaty, we have not a mandate to open the mandate and everything is very clear on the mandate. Once again we will have no problem with Great Britain ... and I think we can do it and do our job from July to October, with the support of the Prime Minister and Great Britain.

Treasures from the threads - Number 4

An article on President Sarkozy in today's The Times, by Irwin Stelzer, titled "Vive la Revolution! Or not as Brown is about to discover" linked here, brought forth this so accurate response from the USA:

Mr Stelzer, That a British Prime Minister could ever go along with the charade being played out over the EU Constitution (aka "Treaty:) simply beggars belief. There is nothing else to say about the matter.

Eric, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

No Independence for Britain or England

I will be celebrating American Independence Day today so will leave my own suggestions for British Constitutional change, mainly means of breaking the control on power by the two party system, until a later occasion. The pointless and tinkering proposals of Gordon Brown detailed in Parliament yesterday, may be read from this link. Predictably Brown ruled out any referendum on the EU Reform Treaty. Does anybody out there believe that Brown would have made it into 10 Downing Street if the country's controllers through Brussels thought for a moment that a UK referendum might be on the cards? So for today I will celebrate that so many of our English speaking cousins across the world have managed to escape European tyranny and maintain common law, democracy and individual rights in so many other parts of the globe. Happy Independence Day.

Impact of losing 'free and unrestricted competition' from the EU Treaty

A discussion from Turkish Weekly linked here. The significant change to the guiding principle of competition in the original Common Market could provide Gordon Brown his best escape from the EU trap.