Douglas Carswell's Blog

When is a veto not a veto?

In December, we vetoed the other EU member states proposals to draft a new set of treaty rules that would have turned the EU in to the FU – or Fiscal Union. If you want to be part of a Fiscal Union, we said, go make your own separate arrangements by forming a different Euro club, not converting the existing one.

A few weeks later, after the Whitehall mandarins have been left in charge of the small print, we give our tacit support to the creation of a new FU arrangement. In return for our mandarins getting back at the top table not much.

So despite us saying “no” to the rule changes, the rule changes take effect within the club of which we are a part – and without our approval.

It is not only the veto that has been circumvented. What assurances do we have that Euro club cannot now make yet further changes without our approval?

It is not only Greek government bonds that have a credibility issue.

Back to all posts