Douglas Carswell's Blog

Bogus EU Bill is no substitute for honouring our promises

"The disillusionment of British voters with politicians has many causes; expenses scandals, economic pressures and the failures of the last Labour government" writes William Hague in today's Telegraph.

"But high on the list of such causes" he continues "is the sheer undemocratic arrogance with which a European treaty of hugh significance - the Lisbon Treaty - was rammed into law ..."

Indeed, William.  So, why not give folk the referendum on the EU that both Coalition parties were promising until recently?

The smoke and mirrors EU Bill the government offers this week instead will do nothing to prevent the further transfer of power to Brussels (and which has continued to happen since the formation of the Coalition). 

This bogus EU Bill is no substitute for the referendum we were promised.  Nothing in this Bill will cause the permanent British representatives in Brussels, who really decide Europe policy, to change course.  Ministers, who really do little more than justify what such UKREP officials decide, should quit pretending this Bill changes anything.

We have left it to such politicians and diplomats for too long.  Only a referendum will now do.  All else is window dressing. 

In his article, William makes much of what Labour failed to do in office.  But it is no longer a question of what did or did not happen under Brown and Blair.  It is a question of what we, now in office, are going to do to fix things.

It's hardly as if we're against holding referendums on issues that divide the Coalition, is it?

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