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Johnstone's View 23rd October 2009

During the course of their thirteen years in government, Labour have done a few things of which they should not be proud. There is a real danger that the last act of this failing Labour government might be to put Britain, against its will, under the control of a Europe wide constitution.

Let there be no doubt that the Lisbon Treaty is virtually indistinguishable from the original EU Constitution which was so widely rejected only a few years ago. It would establish a new EU President, an EU foreign minister with a diplomatic service, abolish 61 national vetoes, increase the European Court of Justice’s powers by making the European Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding and it would significantly expand the European Unions powers over criminal justice, so undermining Scotland‘s unique independent legal system.

At the last election all three main British political parties promised a referendum on the EU Constitution. Labour’s 2005 election manifesto said; “we will put it [the EU Constitution] to the British people in a referendum and campaign whole-heartedly for a ‘Yes’ vote“. The Liberal Democrats 2005 election manifesto said “we are therefore clear in our support for the constitution, which we believe is in Britain’s interest – but ratification must be subject to a referendum of the British people“.

Labour and the Lib Dems have damaged British politics by flagrantly breaking their election promises of a referendum and have damaged the EU’s own democratic legitimacy by trying to ram through the renamed EU Constitution by denying the British people any say on it whatsoever.

The Lisbon Treaty represents what people don’t want from the EU: navel-gazing in Brussels and more centralisation of power. If it went through we would see more squabbling over who gets what power between the new EU president, the EU foreign minister and the President of the Commission. Instead, we should be focussing on working together through the EU where it can really deliver for people: on fighting protectionism, opening up new opportunities for business, combating climate change and making our energy supply secure.

Labour say that our opposition to the Lisbon Treaty is Euro-extremism. The Conservatives say that wanting to give people a say on how the EU is run is not extreme, it’s democratic.

Labour have failed to lead in Europe. They opposed most of what is in the Lisbon Treaty but went along with it. Gordon Brown said “it is unacceptable that 50 per cent or more of regulations come from the European Union”. However, the cost to businesses of regulations introduced since 1997 has rocketed by £76.8 billion, with the EU accounting for nearly 70 per cent of it. Labour said that Britain’s rebate was non-negotiable but gave up £7 billion of it for nothing in return.

Liberal Democrats have also accused the Conservatives of extremism on Europe. We say that the Lib Dems have let down their voters by breaking their promise of a referendum and denying people their democratic choice.

The British people have a right to have their say, as they were promised. If the Lisbon Treaty is not in force at the time of the next general election, and a Conservative Government is elected, we will put the Treaty to a referendum of the British people, recommending a ‘no’ vote. If the British people rejected the Treaty, we will withdraw Britain’s ratification of it.

Unfortunately, there is a very real danger that these co-conspirators, who would deny the British people any say on the matter, may have seceded in their dishonest objective before any new government is in a position to take action. However, even if all other EU Member States have ratified the renamed EU Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty is in force before an election is held, the Treaty would still have no democratic legitimacy – the British people would have had no opportunity to have their say on it either in a referendum or at an election.

It would also be our view that European integration would have gone too far. Accordingly, that situation would not be acceptable to an incoming Conservative Government and we would not let matters rest there. That is why I believe that the adoption of the constitution before the British people have had a say will weaken our links with Europe and threaten future relationships.

I believe that Britain belongs in the European Union but, in common with the governments of every other EU member state, I believe that it is our duty to ensure that we get the best out of it for our own country. Nowhere has this government more ably demonstrated its weakness, than in how it has handled its relationship with Brussels.