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Who said Friday the 13th is unlucky.
Ireland says "No" to the Lisbon Treaty and
a British politician has resigned his seat
on principle.
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie, Perthshire
14 Jun 08
©www.land-care.org.uk
It had been shaping up to be a severely depressing week on the political front: including Wednesday with that sordid spectacle at Westminster.
The Westminster vote on extending detention without charge to 42 days
The depths to which Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his associates were prepared to go to get their way to further erode the basic rights of British citizens became all too apparent. Gordon Brown, who as Prime Minister appears to put a jinx on everything he touches, got his way with his insistence that the time that persons can be held in custody without charge when suspected of terrorism could be extended from the current 28 days to 42 days. Threats and bribes were alleged.
But since not enough members of his own party succumbed to such tactics, Gordon Brown had to rely on alleged deals with the nine members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Ireland to scrape through. The Irish, of course, hotly denied any such carry-on, although it was reliably reported that it was patently obvious to behold. The face of Irish naive innocence of one of the nine interviewed on TV, giving assurance that their decision was based on principle rather than on benefits to the irish cause, was a sight to behold: it created peels of spontaneous laughter.
This was no victory for Gordon Brown. It can surely only add to his undoing, and of his Party. These were not the actions of a man of principle, but of one who is interested in ever increasing the control over the citizen by the State.
What a refreshing surprise when the Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, subsequently announced his resignation from his seat at Westminster to stand for re-election over this single issue: to ascertain that he had a mandate from his constituency over fundamental aspects of civil liberties - the strangulation of British freedoms.
What a contrast to what appears to have been the behaviour of rather many labour MPs. It was allegedly suggested to them that, if they did not vote as Gordon Brown wished, they might lose their seats at the next election (or some other such threat), while those who argued but obediently complied might expect some goodies for their various causes. One labour MP was alleged to have said that he could have been promised two bridges across the Thames if he had asked for it. The seriously sick and the bereaved were dragged to the chamber to cast their vote.
But there was no evidence that 42 days detention was required: just that it might be, and that if it wasn't available disaster could result. But we have heard such alarmist tactics based on very dodgy evidence before, with pretty disastrous consequences.
It does not help the Government's case over the importance of controlling terrorism that, this week, a senior security official in its employ left a folder containing top security papers regarding terrorism on a train. Here is a government that is determined to have draconian powers over its citizens yet cannot itself function in a competent manner regarding the major threat of terrorism.
As the Australians might put it "Good on you, David Davis"
The Irish say "No" to the Lisbon Treaty
But even better. On Friday 13th June the votes were reported from Ireland where the only referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, throughout all the 27 Member States of the EU, was held. Contrary to what the Irish government had confidently assured the EU power brokers, the answer was an unequivocal "No". According to the rules which require all Member States to ratify the Treaty, the Treaty is now dead in the water.
The European Commission were flummoxed. They had no plan B. They assumed that, since the Irish Parliament had expressed their support for the Treaty, that the people would vote likewise. But they didn't. The EU inner circle reckoned that since the Irish had benefited hugely in financial terms from the EU, the Irish would comply. But they didn't.
There was no single reason for the Irish to have so effectively put a major spanner into the plans of the EU to seize more control by backroom methods. Not least of these reasons was said to be the gobbledygook that the Treaty was written in, so that few could understand it. And that is pretty inexcusable after years of preparation. But, like ourselves, the Irish also did not want to lose their national identity, nor be controlled by an ever more remote organisation that persists in making damaging, ill-thought out directives accompanied by massive penalties for those who do not comply.
Just look how the UK Labour Party have behaved on this matter, having been in power for over 10 years. They promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in their manifesto, and then denied the British citizens any opportunity to vote, saying that they, the Government were elected to make such decisions for them - on the pretext that it was a relatively minor matter. It most certainly is not a minor matter. There is now a fundamental lack of trust in the Government.
Already some 75% of the legislation in the UK comes from Brussels, and we in the UK suffer severely as a result. The pretext is that the Lisbon Treaty will allow the EU to function more efficiently, by putting power into the hands of fewer people, who become even more remote from those whom they are supposed to represent. The suggestion that there be a permanent president of the EU is also deeply unattractive.
The reputation of the EU and of the EC as a marvelous gravy train for compliant politicians has severely damaged the credibility of Brussels. There is dismay at the endless line of Directives from the EU on this, that and everything conceivable: based on a one-plan-suits-all approach. Political wheeling and dealing within the EU and the EC is manifestly obvious: just like Gordon Brown's sordid tactics at Westminster two days before.
The silver tongued efforts of the President of the European Parliament trying to wriggle his way round Ireland's definitive "No" were obscene. LIkewise the remarks of the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband. They stated on national TV that they proposed carrying on with the ratification process in the UK, regardless.
The House of Lords is about to ratify the Lisbon Treaty as far as the UK is concerned next week. Perhaps it is not too late for the UK to have the referendum it was promised in the Labour manifesto. Perhaps politicians should realise that the electorate are not so daft as their elected leaders think they are. Perhaps our politicians at Westminster had better adopt some humility and seek the views of their electorate, instead of just telling them what they are going to do supposedly on the electorate's behalf. The Conservative Party opposed the 42 day rule and also opposes the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by Parliament without a referendum. Nevertheless, David Davis will hopefully add the need for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in his stance for re-election: it would fit well with his stance for maintaining the rights of citizens in their own countries.
A week in politics, that started in profound gloom, ended on Friday the 13th with a refreshing glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel.
©www.land-care.org.uk |
