March 2008

S O S

The following report has been slightly edited to fit.

EU CONSTITUTION (Lisbon Treaty) GAPS

There are large GAPS in the Treaty text which will not be completed until after the Treaty has been ratified.  This is to limit opposition in “difficult countries” such as Britain.  A confidential strategy paper from the office of the President of the EU identifies at least 31 areas where decisions remain to be taken. 

These include the role and powers of the EU President and High Representative (Foreign Minister), the way in which Europol will operate, the powers to be given to Eurojust and the new Operational Committee on Internal Security, and the organisation and functioning of the EU External Action Service (diplomatic service).  The Treaty also calls for structured cooperation in defence – a step towards a single European Army.  (Eurofacts, 6.02.08)  According to the Sunday Times, 20.01.08, Neil O’Brien of Open Europe stated “Once the treaty is ratified, there’ll be no going back. . .MPs would effectively be signing a blank cheque to the EU if they ratify this without a referendum.” 

BRITAIN TO PUT 10,000 TROOPS INTO AN EU ARMY

Nicolas Sarkozy wants to create an elite defence group made up from the EU’s six largest member states. It would appear that this project was not included in the Lisbon Treaty at the request of Britain and France, but Britain will support it when the Lisbon Treaty is in force. According to European Voice, 15.02.08, Britain will allocate 10,000 men to the European Defence Group.

DECLARATION 17

The Conference recalls that, in accordance with well settled case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States, under the conditions laid down by the said case law.

Open Europe has published a comparative text of the rejected Constitution and that of the Lisbon Treaty here.

FRAUDULENT DEBATE

Writing in the Daily Mail, 16.02.08, Quentin Letts says that “the much promised debate around the Lisbon Treaty is proving an unprecedented fraud” and he states that, when at Prime Minister’s Question Time, Gordon Brown was asked about the Government’s promise to allow line-by-line scrutiny of the Treaty he spoke of “day-to-day” scrutiny.  Mr Letts suggests that this was the sort of dishonest answer Tony Blair would have given.  Writing in the Express, 17.02.08, Leo McKinstry argues that “The truth is that democracy in Britain is now a hollow sham”.  He notes that “The refusal of the Labour Government to abide by its promise to hold a referendum on the last EU treaty is all too typical of the elitists”.

HOW THEY VOTE

Check how your MP votes at every stage of the Parliamentary debate
here. MPs swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Crown and their country and all three main parties were elected on their manifesto promise of a referendum on the EU Constitution.   The Lisbon Treaty is the Constitution under another name.  Please assure your MP that you will only vote for him/her at the next election IF he/she has kept this promise and voted for the referendum. You can also see how your MEP votes each day by going here.

PEOPLE WANT A VOICE; THEIR VOICE IS BEING DENIED

An ICM opinion poll in the Guardian, 26.01.08, showed that Britons favour continued EU membership but were sceptical about further integration.  Only 45% of voters supported the Government’s argument that the EU increases Britain’s global influence against 50% who opposed it.  A majority agreed that the EU makes decisions in an undemocratic way.  The poll found that UK voters were still strongly pro-American.  Only 29% thought Britain’s warmest relations were with the EU as opposed to 64% with America.

Another ICM poll for Global Vision dated 7.02.08 showed that 74% of those questioned still want a referendum on the EU Constitution.  Moreover, when asked who should control policy areas such as trade, agriculture, foreign affairs and defence, respondents were overwhelmingly against the European Union.  According to Global Vision 50% of respondents wanted a looser arrangement with the EU, 21% wanted to stay in the EU and 24% wanted to leave.  One important feature of the polls was their consistency.  The result of an ITV poll showed that 89% of the people disagreed with the motion that the UK is better off economically in the EU than out.  (ITV Teletext p 327)

EUROPE’S SLOW MOTION SUICIDE

In a interview with Kathryn Jean Lopez, Bruce Thornton talks about his new book Decline and Fall: Europe’s Slow Motion Suicide.  He speaks about a suicidal collapse in the certainty of Western Civilization’s achievements particularly in regard to human rights and individual freedom, and more recently the timid response to jihadist terror and European Muslim aggression.  He believes the most obvious sign of Europe’s slow death will be the probable appeasing response to a terrorist attack on Europe on a similar scale to 9/11.  Thornton also cites the demographic crisis – Europe’s failure to reproduce – and problems caused by sluggish economies burdened with immigrant troubles and expensive social welfare programmes.   When asked how damaging the EU itself has been to Europe, he replied that the EU was under the illusion that Europe could be a world power by ceding national authority to the undemocratic bureaucracy of Brussels.

CONTROVERSIAL DIRECTIVES BEING HELD BACK UNTIL AFTER RATIFICATION

The News of the World, 17.2.08 reported that controversial legislation is being held back until the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by the UK.  A key example is the Health Services Directive.  Former Health Secretary Frank Dobson is quoted as saying “This will give a leg up to the well-off to the disadvantage of everyone else”.  In a leading article the paper said “Welcome to the Europe-wide NHS of the future.  A world where the rich can pay to jump the queue in any member state. . .”   The article then stated that our hard-pressed Health Service would be forced to refund the money while the poor, with no chance of credit, would be left to suffer in pain until they “limp to the top of the waiting list”.

THE COSTLY EUROPEAN UNION

The Daily Telegraph, 11.2.08 quotes Lord Lamont (Norman Lamont) as saying “The regulatory costs associated with the single market have multiplied and now amount to a staggering £418 billion a year – the costs outweighing the benefits by three to one”.

It is well known that recent governments have failed to carry out a cost/benefit assessment of our membership of the EU.  Tony Blair said that the benefits were so obvious that it was unnecessary for them to be measured.  But all recent studies done by other organisations have shown that the financial costs far outweigh the gains. 

According to Labour Euro-Safeguards Campaign Bulletin, January 2008, there was now an increasingly strong case politically why Britain would be far better off out with an associate status similar to that enjoyed by Norway or Switzerland.  However, Labour Euro-Safeguards estimates the cost per annum of our EU membership, including the EU Budget, as £55 billion. The bulletin looks at various other aspects of our membership of the EU and concludes that there are more disadvantages than advantages.  

The Campaign for an Independent Britain, Scottish Branch, has produced a leaflet which puts annual costs at about £150 billion per year and the British Chambers of Commerce 2008 Burdons Barometer reports that the total cost of major regulations since 1998 has now reached £66 billion, of which  £47 billion originated from EU regulations.  The figure was £40.64 billion in 2007.  (Surely it is time for the Government to provide a full and detailed cost assessment. It is taxpayers’ money they are spending. Ed)

EU FINANCIAL “SUPER REGULATOR”

According to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard writing in the Daily Telegraph, 4.12.07, momentum is building up for the appointment of a “super regulator” to oversee financial markets throughout the EU and clamp down on short-term speculators.  This could bring the City of London directly under the control of the EU and would emasculate the Financial Services Authority.  The Economics Commissioner, Joaquin Almunia said that financial institutions should be subject to essentially the same rules irrespective of where they operate in the Single Market and called for “qualified majority voting on all decisions”.  One reason for a super regulator is said by EU experts to be concern that the eurozone’s vulnerable “Club Med” countries may be in trouble next year as their housing booms deflate.  Writing in the Daily Telegraph, 21.1.08, Mr Evans-Pritchard reports global strategist Bernard Connolly of Banque AIG saying that if the storm is peaking in the US, it has hardly started in Europe.  Euro-losses may surpass the US debacle.

EUROZONE ECONOMY

According to the Economist, 15.02.08, growth is slowing in major eurozone economies.  This is due to sagging demand at home rather than the downturn in the block’s exports to the US and UK.

EXIT FROM THE EU

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, writing in the Daily Telegraph, 11.2.08 says that he now favours leaving the EU, although doing so is fraught with problems.  He states that it is commonly thought that primacy of EU law over law of member states is already established.  He says that the European Court asserts primacy and the member states defer to this practice but the top courts of Germany, France, Italy, Denmark and Ireland have never accepted the principle.  A secession clause is included in the current draft treaty which is subject to agreement from other states.  Mr Evans-Pritchard fears that, unless the clause makes it clear that by abrogating the treaty we can leave at any time, we will give up all our sovereignty.

LETTERS FROM BUSINESS PEOPLE

A letter to the Times, 22.1.08, signed by a group of business executives claimed that the Lisbon Treaty represented a fundamental threat to their businesses and livelihoods.

MEPS' EXPENSES SCAM

Writing in the Telegraph, 22.02.08, Bruno Waterfield commented on the report by the EU Parliament’s internal auditor detailing expenses scams worth up to £125,000 a year for each MEP.  Only MEPs on the Budget Control Committee were allowed to see the report and Chris Davies, MEP, Liberal Democrat, who, as a member of the Committee, has read the report described it as “deeply shocking” and called for it to be published.  However, the EU Parliament found no reason to investigate the report as no individual MEP was mentioned.  Mr Waterfield was told that the decision was made by the Secretary General, Harald Romer, a powerful bureaucrat whose job is to manage behind the scenes administration.  Another senior official explained that they wanted reform but they could not make the report available to the public if they wanted people to vote in the European elections next year.

The report is here.

GALILEO ENVY

According to Brian Wheeler and Ed Challes writing an analysis on BBC online, 15.02.08, critics of Galileo say “the project is more about the projection of European political power and prestige on the global stage than any hard commercial benefits”.  They say that the EU insists that Galileo is for civilian use only but opponents suspect a hidden military agenda.  MPs at Westminster are more concerned about the cost of the project.

BORDER CONTROLS

The Evening Standard, 15.02.08, reports that proposals for European Automated Border controls include children as young as six being ushered into private booths and fingerprinted.

TEMPORARY WORKERS

A challenge to the UK’s position on temporary workers is likely to come from the EU when France takes over the EU Presidency in July. A proposed EU directive on this issue is likely to be revived which the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) believes could endanger the jobs of 250,000 workers.  (Guardian, 17.02.08)

ROYAL MAIL THREATENED

“The Royal Mail delivers letters all over the country for the price of a stamp.  It is complete nonsense to talk about competition because private contractors don’t have to deliver letters all over the country or send Braille packages free, and indeed all the mail handled by them is delivered free by the Royal Mail.  Years ago I was Postmaster General and that is why I support the Post Office against the European Union, who are forcing us to introduce competition, and I thank God they are not insisting upon competition for the police, fire brigade and ambulance service”. - Tony Benn (Daily Mirror, November 2007)

Plans adopted by the European Parliament on 31.01.08 mean that Europe’s postal services are to be opened up to full competition by 2011 according to an article by Leigh Phillips.  According to Associated Press (1.02.08) blind people’s rights to free post are under threat from the new EU rules.  Moves to safeguard an existing legal guarantee of free post failed to get sufficient support during the vote.

MALTA LEARNS THE HARD WAY

At the start of the electoral campaign Labour Leader Alfred Sant said that when elected, a Maltese Labour Government would go to Brussels and with goodwill negotiate new conditions on the dockyards and agriculture.  He asserted that he could re-negotiate certain aspects of Malta’s membership package in order to uphold its national interest, but a spokesman for the EU said “What is agreed in the Accession Treaty is a done deal”.  (Times of Malta, 10.02.08)

MORE ASSAULTS ON PRIVACY

Brussels officials are considering controversial anti-terror proposals for travellers by aircraft between EU countries which would involve handing over 19 pieces of information which would be stored for 13 years. Under an agreement reached last summer with the United States, similar information is required for passengers flying between Europe and the America.  Now Britain wants this system extended to sea and rail travel.  (Guardian, 23.02.08)

EU PROPAGANDA

The EU Parliament decided on a controversial web TV project in an attempt to produce “Pravda-style” propaganda for the European Union.  The cost of this project is expected to be 40 million euros over the next four years.  (EUZX.TV, 30.01.08)  The EU Commission is to fund a pan-European radio station which will provide items of EU affairs.  A consortium of 16 radio stations from 13 EU states will broadcast programmes from a “European point of view”.  The Commission already subsidises “EuroNews”, the European TV Channel at a cost of 10 million euros a year.  (Eurofacts, 8.02.08)

BRITISH CONSTITUTION

Gordon Brown wants us to have a written British Constitution and Jack Straw has been detailed to provide this.  WE ALREADY HAVE A WRITTEN CONSTITUTION. THE LISBON TREATY VIOLATES IT. THE Magna Carta Society has produced an excellent summary of the British Constitution in six chapters.  It tells in detail why parliamentarians may be committing treason if they sign up to the Lisbon Treaty.  This summary can be found here and in Britain on the Brink: Your Own Choice.

Very many thanks to all who so kindly sent donations.  I apologise for the impossibility of acknowledging them individually but all are gratefully received.  I also apologise to all who have written to me or sent news stories to which I have not replied.  I do appreciate receiving them.
Iris Binstead

 Let us persevere in the defence of freedom.