There is nothing in the Lisbon Treaty that cannot be controlled by a decent constitution. As Germany and now the Czech Republic have shown, Lisbon and the European Union are subject to a member state's constitution. How unfortunate then that the United Kingdom's constitution, underdetermined and dependent on honourable and honest interpretation at best, has been wrecked by New Labour over the last dozen years.
To all intents and purposes, certainly those of post democratic progressive governance, we do not have any constitution or means of constitutional redress whatever. Our constitution is wholly under the control of our government and our government has chosen to trash it.
Instead of the vehement protests against the Lisbon Treaty, in an attempt to prevent the taking away of those of our ancient rights and privileges by foreigners which have not been removed already by home grown socialist authoritarians, our incoming government should install a constitution that defends our citizens from any overbearing EU interference in our basic freedoms as UK citizens. Germany has a Basic Law that cannot be infringed by any EU measure and a Constitutional Court to give rulings and enforce them; that's what the delay in Germany's acceptance of Lisbon was all about, as the Basic Law was reinforced in the German Parliament. That is what the appeal by the Czech senators to their Constitutional Court is all about too - ensuring the protection of the Czech people from European Union impertinence and authoritarianism. Other member states have bulwarks and redress entrenched in their state institutions.
We can do that as well, entirely within our own country's powers and capacities. Defence from European intrusion is not in anyone else's hands but our own. When Mr Cameron states that should the Lisbon Treaty be already accepted by all 27 member states before his government enters office matters will not rest there, this provision of our own constitutionally entrenched defences against European Union control in our lives is most certainly what he means. And much more effective than any referendum.
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3 comments:
They won't, though. What is to be done, when no political party comes close to representing the people?
I hope you are right HG.
But even a nation's constitution is no guarantee of resistance to the EU.
As an exercise, that is surely being run right now at Tory central, just what options does the UK have?
Does a full blown referendum on leaving the EU come up? - highly divisive for a new government.
At the moment that seems to be it.
What other options are there?
The situation in Germany and the Czech republic (is it called Czechia now?) seems to be that the constitutional authorities examine the Lisbon constitution and determine whether any of its provisions breaches their existing arrangements.
If it turns out that they do, then the national constitution gets changed to fit the Lisbon one, and the EU's self-agrandisement can continue unabated.
This will not for Britain. What we need to do is to determine whether Lisbon contains things that are unacceptable - as it certainly does - and then simply refuse to implement them. "Thus far and no further", as people used to say before the whole process took on an irresistible life of its own.
What would happen in such a case?
The question is moot because no such process will occur. Hopes that Cameron will be the man to turn back the tide are misplaced; he has no such strength of character.
Surely Britain has not totally lost its self-confidence and bloody-mindedness? Please? Because unless it has, there will be an uproar at some point.
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