Consult the voters without patronising
Neil O'Brien FT - 03 September 2007
From Mr Neil O'Brien.
Sir, Your editorial “EU referendum calls are misguided” (August 28), on the constitutional treaty and the "motley" campaign for a referendum, was deeply patronising. The promise of a referendum was made in the government's manifesto at the last election. You argue that this promise can now be withdrawn simply because “the trappings of a constitution have been removed” even though you admit that “the substance of the treaty remains largely intact”. This is a very poor argument.
You admit that voters don't want further integration, and so are then forced to argue that the constitutional treaty does not make any significant changes. But it obviously does. For example, the constitutional treaty would give the European Court of Justice jurisdiction over justice and policing. A Foreign Office memorandum in 2000 admitted this would “raise sensitive issues relating to national sovereignty, law and order and the criminal justice process”. Or another example: the new voting system cuts our power to block legislation and our right of veto is given up in 61 new areas. This would mean more regulations and more costs for businesses. European Union regulations have cost the UK economy £40bn since 1998. No wonder the polls show that 54 per cent of chief executives think the benefits of the single market are outweighed by the costs of EU regulation. The constitutional treaty would make matters worse.
You say that the UK has opted out of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. But the Labour leader in the European parliament admits “this is wrong”. The Swedish prime minister says that “the UK was given a clarification, not an opt-out”.
You argue that there was no referendum on previous treaties. But the principle that we have referendums on substantive constitutional changes has been established by the 30 referendums the government has held over the past 10 years. In the modern world voters expect to be consulted, not patronised.
Neil O'Brien,
Director,
Open Europe
© FT