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Ooh, Boris and Dave appear to have got themselves in a bit of a pickle.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/04/referendum-lisbon-treaty-cameron-johnson
Quotes
In a move to assuage Eurosceptic anger inside and outside his party, Cameron will instead launch a campaign to repatriate powers which the Tories believe should be held at a national level. Cameron is planning to:
• Repatriate social and employment powers to a national level. This would effectively mean restoring Britain's opt out from the social chapter and would need the agreement of all 27 member states.
• Demand greater power over justice and home affairs. Under Lisbon these are voted on under a system which gives no member state a veto. France and Germany are likely to resist change here because it would mean unpicking this part of the treaty which gives Britain an "opt in" – the right to refuse to sign up to laws in this area.
• Issue a warning to the EU that a Tory government will adopt a hardline stance if its demands are not accepted. This could involve holding a UK referendum on Cameron's more modest proposals or holding up the next round of EU treaties to admit Croatia and Iceland into the union.
As a recipe for European co-operation it is unparalleled. And it still wouldn't change the fact that we signed up to the European Convention of Human Rights in 1950....well before the EEC/EU came into existence. If they want to repudiate that....well, otherwise what they are talking about is essentially window dressing.
Of course, it seems that this is all about Tory shibboleths like abolishing the minimum wage (Social Chapter), bringing back hanging and flogging (Justice and Social Affairs), and screwing up the French and Germans (holding up treaty ratifications). Never mind, because as the Tories are only part of the fifth-largest party grouping in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists; and allied with pretty-far-right factions such as For_Fatherland_and_Freedom/LNNK, and the anti-gay-rights party of Poland Law_and_Justice; they will be particularly toothless and impotent in their attempts to amend EU legislation in the European Parliament, and will have to work on the National Level, which will make the UK pretty popular with our neighbours. At least Scotland and Wales can have referenda about total independence from such idiots.
Gawds....gotta admire the thinking of these lads. And what's worse is that they're going to be our next government: I have money on them winning the next general election. Fucking nightmare and then some. The Conservative and Unionist Party of Great Britain may just have found a novel way of making us the pariahs of Europe, alongside completely destroying the Union that makes us the United Kingdom.
Dave, get your lunatics under control, please. And start with Boris.
As for me, I'm thinking of rejoining the Labour Party, which I left some seven years ago. I don't care quite as much about my bet as I do about lunatics taking over the asylum.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/04/referendum-lisbon-treaty-cameron-johnson
Quotes
In a move to assuage Eurosceptic anger inside and outside his party, Cameron will instead launch a campaign to repatriate powers which the Tories believe should be held at a national level. Cameron is planning to:
• Repatriate social and employment powers to a national level. This would effectively mean restoring Britain's opt out from the social chapter and would need the agreement of all 27 member states.
• Demand greater power over justice and home affairs. Under Lisbon these are voted on under a system which gives no member state a veto. France and Germany are likely to resist change here because it would mean unpicking this part of the treaty which gives Britain an "opt in" – the right to refuse to sign up to laws in this area.
• Issue a warning to the EU that a Tory government will adopt a hardline stance if its demands are not accepted. This could involve holding a UK referendum on Cameron's more modest proposals or holding up the next round of EU treaties to admit Croatia and Iceland into the union.
As a recipe for European co-operation it is unparalleled. And it still wouldn't change the fact that we signed up to the European Convention of Human Rights in 1950....well before the EEC/EU came into existence. If they want to repudiate that....well, otherwise what they are talking about is essentially window dressing.
Of course, it seems that this is all about Tory shibboleths like abolishing the minimum wage (Social Chapter), bringing back hanging and flogging (Justice and Social Affairs), and screwing up the French and Germans (holding up treaty ratifications). Never mind, because as the Tories are only part of the fifth-largest party grouping in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists; and allied with pretty-far-right factions such as For_Fatherland_and_Freedom/LNNK, and the anti-gay-rights party of Poland Law_and_Justice; they will be particularly toothless and impotent in their attempts to amend EU legislation in the European Parliament, and will have to work on the National Level, which will make the UK pretty popular with our neighbours. At least Scotland and Wales can have referenda about total independence from such idiots.
Gawds....gotta admire the thinking of these lads. And what's worse is that they're going to be our next government: I have money on them winning the next general election. Fucking nightmare and then some. The Conservative and Unionist Party of Great Britain may just have found a novel way of making us the pariahs of Europe, alongside completely destroying the Union that makes us the United Kingdom.
Dave, get your lunatics under control, please. And start with Boris.
As for me, I'm thinking of rejoining the Labour Party, which I left some seven years ago. I don't care quite as much about my bet as I do about lunatics taking over the asylum.
