Party Politics Provide Putrescible Pettifogging Parliaments

When working in the oil business we joked of the 6 Ps: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Pity that the two major political parties in Britain did not follow this mantra for all can now glimpse the dangers facing the country. Even a High Court Judge supposedly remote from the everyday received much publicity over the weekend for voicing his concerns. My headline for this posting describes what lack of either planning or forethought actually delivers. The politicians of all three main parties are responsible and not one of their candidates is worthy of a vote in the coming local elections. Only thus may a sufficiently strong message be forced home on these numbskulls. The greatest lie of the Lisbon Treaty is that it gives more say to national parliaments. True the right to be consulted on certain matters is given lip service for the first time, but nowhere is there any requirement for the advice or comment they make to even be considered, let alone acted upon. This is an outrage and the fact that day by day parliaments across the EU ratify this Treaty without a care for the loss of accountable democracy - "the right for the people to replace their rulers" - is a scandal of enormous proportions. An indication of the huge unaccountable power now being delivered to the EU can be gleaned by noting this opening salvo in the power struggle and turf war that is already beginning and post-Lisbon, given human nature, seems certain to tear Europe asunder. This post appeared on the Europhile blog of EU Activ, linked here: The European Commission should become the European Government. The EU produces legislation and takes decisions that affect all Europeans. However it is a big body without a head. This plays against the European project. It is important that the people identify who is executing decisions at EU level; hence it is important that the European Commission takes the shape of a government. With the Lisbon reform treaty, more powers are given to the European Parliament and the rotating presidency of the European Council will come to an end. With this change in the balance of powers, it is important that the European Commission becomes political. This implies bringing democracy into the selection procedure of accountability in its actions. This post was submitted by Union of European Federalists. The power struggle now beginning between the undefined roles of the Presidents of the EU's Commission, Council and Parliament will have no regard for the democracy that these institutions will have jointly destroyed across almost the entire Continent. Karl Popper spelt out that where those in Power cannot be removed bloodlessly Tyranny begins. So it is with the EU! Thereafter the once nations of Europe will be left oppressed with Parliaments worthy of only three Ps: Putrefied Parliaments of Pettiness. The House of Lords in the UK must let the people pronounce on this treaty!