What the Lisbon Treaty really means

I mentioned to you the other day that I had debated the Lisbon Treaty at Harlow Council Watch last week. Well, as Dan Hannan MEP points out, the Lisbon Treaty came into force on midnight December 1 2010. Britain is no bound to the statutes of this Treaty, which are moire far reaching, than anything that has ever occurred before. We are now subjects of the EU, and answerable to the new EU President and Foreign Minister. Moreover, the new Constitution allows ever increasing extension of EU power, without even recourse to a further amending Treaty.

And we were not even allowed to vote on this. You can read what Mr Hannan says HERE. Read it and weep.

P.S. Latest News: I read from Iain Dale's website, that the Liberal Democrats have abandoned their pledge to hold an 'EU in or out' referendum. This is all the more strange, as the Harlow Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate made much of this policy commitment, when he set out his party's policy to Harlow Council Watch.

Harlow EU Lisbon Treaty Referendum Campaign

Following my earlier posting, I thought you might like to see some pictures from the Harlow EU Referendum Campaign in February 2008
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Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Debating the Lisbon Treaty with Harlow Council Watch

I am a great believer in debate and discussion, however tempestuous. Good political argument go hand in hand with democracy.

So I was really pleased to be invited (a few days ago), by Harry Harrison, (Chairman) of Council Watch and Colleen Morrison (Secretary), to discuss and debate the Lisbon Treaty and other matters relevant to the European Union. Also attending was Dave White, Harlow Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate.

In essence my case to Council Watch members was as follows:

• Labour had betrayed the Country by not giving the people a chance to vote on a referendum on the European Constitution (known as the Lisbon Treaty), despite pledging to in its election manifesto;
• The Liberal Democrats had promised the same, yet had abstained when the issue came before the House of Commons. If they had kept their promise, Gordon Brown would have been forced to have a referendum;
• The Lisbon Treaty was now law. The EU now had an unelected President and unprecedented right to intervene in our own affairs;
• The case for a referendum had crossed political divides. Tony Benn had backed the Harlow campaign and Robert Halfon, (and Colleen Morrison) had met Mr Benn at Parliament, in the demonstration for a referendum.
  
  David Cameron's response to this is as follows:
  
  
• Repatriation of our powers relating to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Justice & Home Affairs and Social and Employment legislation;
• A possible referendum after one term of Government, if we have not repatriated these powers;
• A Bill to ensure that the UK Parliament has sovereignty over EU law;
• Any ratchet clauses emanating from the Lisbon treaty (i.e. extension of EU Power), have to have a majority in Parliament.
  
• Legislation to guarantee that any future EU Treaty will be subject to a referendum.
  
  
  

You can read more about this HERE. It is a speech, in which Mr Cameron sets out the Conservative European Policy. Of course, every Eurosceptic is enraged about the failure of the Government to hold a referendum on the European Constitution. If the above measures are enacted, it will at least have a ratchet effect against the ever increasing march towards European Federalism. Moreover, never again, will our political ruling class, be able to sign up to new European Treaties, without giving the people a right to say yes or no through referendum.

I was glad to set this out to Council Watch, and look forward to debating the issue in and around Harlow over coming months.

The best of times and the worst of times

How can one day be so good and bad for democracy at the same time? Well, this Saturday is like no other. First, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, under relenting pressure (particularly from Sky News), finally agreed, that he would be willing to take part in General Election TV debates with David Cameron. This is great news and is something of a small earthquake in our political system. TV Debates, will accelerate the trends to a more 'Presidential' style of Government, as the performance of party leaders becomes ever more important. Above all, it gives the public a real chance to decide, who they will vote for. These TV election debates will be watched by millions, and will have the capacity to make or break party leaders. It is a great advance for our democratic evolution.

Now for the bad news. Sadly, Ireland voted yes for the EU Constitution - known as the Lisbon Treaty. This was a referendum that was all the more curious, as the Irish voted no in a Referendum, not so long ago. Yet in true EU Style, instead of accepting the result, the Irish were forced to have a second referendum, until the Eurocrats and big Corporate interests in Brussels got the answer they wanted. We now have to wait on the actions of the Czech Republic and Poland, who both have not yet ratified this Treaty - which, if it comes to pass, would in essence bring about European Government in all but name, and greatly weaken the power of Britain, to make its own decisions on a huge range of issues.

David Cameron, has pledged that Conservatives will hold a Referendum on the EU Constitution - something which Gordon Brown promised at the last election, but refused to honour. Mr Cameron has issued the following statement to party activists, (many of whom will be on their way tomorrow to Manchester, for the annual party conference):

"I want to make one thing clear: there will be no change in our policy on Europe and no new announcements at the Conference. There will be no change in Conservative policy as long as the Lisbon Treaty is still not in force. The Treaty has still not been ratified by the Czechs and the Poles. The Czech Prime Minister has said that the constitutional challenge before the Czech Constitutional Court could take 3-6 months to resolve

I have said repeatedly that I want us to have a referendum. If the Treaty is not ratified in all Member States and not in force when the election is held, and if we are elected, then we will hold a referendum on it, we will name the date of the referendum in the election campaign, we will lead the campaign for a 'No' vote.

If the Treaty is ratified and in force in all Member States, we have repeatedly said we would not let matters rest there. But we have one policy at a time, and we will set out how we would proceed in those circumstances if, and only if, they happen.

This is going to be a great Conference. I look forward to seeing many of you in Manchester".

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Tony Blair as President of Europe?

Just imagine, an unelected Prime Minister in the shape of Gordon Brown, and an unelected President of Europe, in the figure of Tony Blair. It doesn't bear thinking about. Yet there is a strong possibility that Mr Blair may become President of the European Union.

Given that the EU now inteferes in every nook and cranny of our life, President Blair would mean he would have an unacceptable influence on our domestic affairs. If the new Lisbon Treaty (the European Constitution comes to pass), it would give a President Blair significant powers over Britain, that would rival those of Gordon Brown.

I am glad that Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has set out his thoughts on the matter:

Tony Blair and the EU Presidency

"Our point about this is that this would be unacceptable to the majority of people in Britain'. It would be a double denial of democracy because we would have a former prime minister returning to a position of influence and power over British affairs without any electoral mandate of any kind. If a figure like Tony Blair assumed the presidency of the EU, it would be Tony Blair who went off to visit the White House claiming to represent all the people of Europe, including Britain once again. "'Just when people thought they were free of that, that would be back and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.'" That remains exactly the position of the Conservative Party today. We are not, of course, in favour of the creation of the position of a permanent president of the European Council in the first place. It is also something of an academic question, because either the Lisbon Treaty will be in force if a Conservative Government is elected, in which case the Governments of the European Union will already have chosen a President of the European Council, or it will not be in force if a Conservative Government is elected, in which case it is unlikely ever to come into force since a Conservative Government would hold the referendum that people have always been promised and have been denied under Labour.

Vote for change today. Vote Conservative

The biggest tragedy about all the feuding within the Labour Party is that the Government are failing to get to grips with the economic catastrophe facing the nation. High debt, high taxes, high unemployment are the three disasters of our times, yet Labour MPs are only concerned with plotting against Gordon Brown. The resignation of four Ministers in over recent days, shows that Labour is putting its own needs before those of the country. We now have a paralysed government, unable to act. No wonder there is such a growing clamour for a General Election.

Please vote today to get rid of Gordon Brown. Its time to show the Labour Government that its time for a General Election. Your vote has never been more important.

You have two votes tomorrow - for the European Parliament and for Essex County Council.

Voting Conservative will give you a chance to tell Mr Brown that you want lower taxes, a lower debt economy, a Referendum on the European Constitution and a value for money County Council. Above all, you will be saying to Gordon Brown, enough is enough.

Please remember, a vote for any other party keeps Mr Brown in Downing Street.

P.S. You might like to see THIS and THIS.

P.P.S - Harlow Constituency Conservative Candidates for Essex County are as follows:

Cllr. Lee Dangerfield - Harlow West

Guy Mitchinson - Harlow West

Cllr. Mike Garnett - Harlow North

Cllr. Eddie Johnson - Harlow South East

Cllr. Anthony Jackson - North Weald & Nazeing

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

A Pint is a Pint is a Pint

As well as the elections for Essex County Council on 4 June, there are important elections for the European Parliament on the same date.

These elections are incredibly relevant as voters have a chance to show their disapproval at Gordon Brown's high tax, high debt and high unemployment economy.

Moreover, the election also represents a major opportunity to register a protest at Gordon Brown's broken promise to have a UK nation-wide Referendum on the new EU Constitution (now known as the Lisbon Treaty). Despite a pledge in the Labour Party Manifesto, Mr Brown refuses to honour the commitment. Many of you will remember the postal vote in Harlow last year, in which voters overwhelmingly called for a Referendum and showed massive opposition to the Treaty.

And no wonder, since the EU Constitution transfers even more of our powers to Brussels and gives Eurocrats increased influence in our justice and immigration policy.

This is totally wrong, as these things should be decided by the British Parliament.

I was glad yesterday to have Jonathan Morgan, (who is an European Parliamentary Candidate for the Eastern Region), come to Harlow to campaign on these issues. Jonathan has a good chance of becoming a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) after the election, and I know he will not hesitate to put Britain first.

Together with Gary Waller (a former MP, and President of Harlow Conservatives), we visited the Brenda Taylor Harlow Dance School in the Latton Bush Centre. The young students did an incredible dance routine for us and Brenda was able to explain the success of her school.

After, we took Jonathan to the Tennis Club, to see the new indoor Centre (see my posting of a few days ago) and meet some of the club members.

As it was a hot - and long - day, we also went to see Shaun, Landlord of the Drinker's Moth Pub in Staple Tye. Shaun is a great landlord and has transformed the Moth into a real Community Pub. Shaun wanted to lobby us about business rates and beer tax (both ever increasing thanks to G. Brown). He also asked Jonathan to do all he could to ensure that a Pint remained a Pint and not a litre. Yes, Brussels bureaucrats want to change that too!

Imagine going to a Pub and asking for 1/4 litre of Guinness please.... It doesn't bear thinking about.

Jonathan and fellow Conservative MEPs - the future of the British Pint is in your hands.

P.S. All my blogs are being done on my Blackberry at the moment, as my Laptop is very ill - having digested the Trojan virus. Web-links and pictures will be more patchy than usual. As soon as I get to an office computer, I will add them. Goodnight for now.