There is an interesting, if rather flatteringly effusive review of the Coalition Government two months from its formation by Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail this morning which is linked here.
Absent from this review is the area most crucial to the future of Britain, namely the crisis within the EU and its common currency.
I commented in depth on Ironies Too this morning, link here, on the Telegraph's schizophrenia over the EU. Unhappily the Mail itself seems to prefer to join the Coalition co-leaders themselves in ignoring this most important of all issues for the country they now govern.
Could the EU crisis, the main difference that divides the two parties which form the coalition, perhaps not be used both to resolve the crisis within the EU itself, but also perhaps prevent an early destruction of the coalition concept by disaffected MPs from both parties on the Government's backbenches?
Britain has a driving interest in maintaining a prosperous Continent of Europe freely trading in a partnership that above all values the wealth brought by its diversities of backgrounds, languages and cultures.
A joint party political coalition committee, meeting in public and drawn from leading Conservative MP Eurosceptics and MP Liberal Democrat EU enthusiasts, charged to suggest means of resolving the single currency crisis and future for the pound for presentation to the Cabinet, may well aid the Coalition in resolving how it might in future proceed on this thorny issue and even perhaps prevent the EU crisis becoming the reason for its own demise.
Somewhere, some politicians in the EU should be solely concerned with this issue. It is not a matter for resolution by either Germany and France battling out their disagreements, nor by a dark manipulation by the EU Commission and the ECB working in tandem.
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EU. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Full Coalition Agreement
The document is available on a pdf file linked from here.
The crucial issue is of course the EU, particularly in view of the duplicity and deviousness of both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister over the referendum and ratification of the Lisbon Treaty AND the moves already underway to extend economic governance across the entire EU based upon the German model.
I reproduce the section of the document covering Europe herewith:
13. EUROPE
The Government believes that Britain should play a leading role in an enlarged European Union, but that no further powers should be transferred to Brussels without a referendum. This approach strikes the right balance between constructive engagement with the EU to deal with the issues that affect us all, and protecting our national sovereignty.
•
We will ensure that the British Government is a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
•
We will ensure that there is no further transfer of sovereignty or powers over the course of the next Parliament. We will examine the balance of the EU’s existing competences and will, in particular, work to limit the application of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom.
•
We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that treaty – a ‘referendum lock’. We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that the use of any passerelle would require primary legislation.
•
We will examine the case for a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill to make it clear that ultimate authority remains with Parliament.
•
We will ensure that Britain does not join or prepare to join the Euro in this Parliament.
•
We will strongly defend the UK’s national interests in the forthcoming EU budget negotiations and agree that the EU budget should only focus on those areas where the EU can add value.
•
We will press for the European Parliament to have only one seat, in Brussels.
•
We will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case-by-case basis, with a view to maximising our country’s security, protecting Britain’s civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system. Britain will not participate in the establishment of any European Public Prosecutor.
•
We support the further enlargement of the EU
The crucial issue is of course the EU, particularly in view of the duplicity and deviousness of both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister over the referendum and ratification of the Lisbon Treaty AND the moves already underway to extend economic governance across the entire EU based upon the German model.
I reproduce the section of the document covering Europe herewith:
13. EUROPE
The Government believes that Britain should play a leading role in an enlarged European Union, but that no further powers should be transferred to Brussels without a referendum. This approach strikes the right balance between constructive engagement with the EU to deal with the issues that affect us all, and protecting our national sovereignty.
•
We will ensure that the British Government is a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
•
We will ensure that there is no further transfer of sovereignty or powers over the course of the next Parliament. We will examine the balance of the EU’s existing competences and will, in particular, work to limit the application of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom.
•
We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that treaty – a ‘referendum lock’. We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that the use of any passerelle would require primary legislation.
•
We will examine the case for a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill to make it clear that ultimate authority remains with Parliament.
•
We will ensure that Britain does not join or prepare to join the Euro in this Parliament.
•
We will strongly defend the UK’s national interests in the forthcoming EU budget negotiations and agree that the EU budget should only focus on those areas where the EU can add value.
•
We will press for the European Parliament to have only one seat, in Brussels.
•
We will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case-by-case basis, with a view to maximising our country’s security, protecting Britain’s civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system. Britain will not participate in the establishment of any European Public Prosecutor.
•
We support the further enlargement of the EU
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