Douglas Carswell's Blog

Britain says "no" - but more Europe happens anyway

Apparently there is to be an intergovernmental treaty for EU member states. Far from the Eurozone forming a separate Fiscal Union, separate from the EU, it seems that these new rules are to be "folded into the EU treaties".

These EU rule changes will give more power to unelected Commission officials, and presumably any disputes over interpretation will be adjudicated by the federalist Euro courts.

But apart from that, how is our veto working out?

Perhaps it is time for the government to set out clearly and precisely what its Europe strategy is. Clinging to the ruins of failed Foreign Office thinking is not enough. Allowing ourselves to be guided by Europhile Whitehall mandarins has only taken us down a blind alley.

Having ended up doing the right thing last month when we said "no", ministers now need to come up with a coherent strategy - and fast. What sort of relationship do they envisage Britain having with the EU? If we no longer have any say over the single market rules - as seems likely - do ministers still think we ought to comply with them, unless exporting to Euroland?

How do ministers envisage the new deal with Euroland taking shape? Repatriating powers unilaterally or some sort of hard-nosed deal-making? And most importantly, when do they envisage putting the new deal to the people in a referendum?

The Europe question is bigger than the Coalition.

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