Initial Response to Cameron's Speech

Well it is a start - as they say -even if he appears to have 'nicked' ideas from Carswell's/Hannan's The Plan and the Constitutional policy of UKIP.

However, the bit that interested me was on Europe. The text of his speech on ConHome states:

"We will therefore hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, pass a law requiring a referendum to approve any further transfers of power to the EU, negotiate the return of powers, and require far more detailed scrutiny in Parliament of EU legislation, regulation and spending."

Note 'we will therefore hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty'. Now I did not actually hear him say that - the damn phone rang - but let us consider the words used. Is it a categorical statement that whether the treaty is ratified or not, there will be a referendum; are the first two parts of that statement 'linked', ie the referendum is only one which will held to seek approval for the transfer of further powers? And if the latter, what happens if the referendum vetos such a transfer, which would leave Britain in contravention of the treaty? Still too many questions, Mr. Cameron, remain to be answered.

Burning our Money has also raised a few immediate queries which can be read here, and deals with those unanswered questions on local government, fiscal policy, accountability of MPs to their constituents etc.

As they say, the devil will be in the detail so one must hold judgement, but in view of the unanswered questions the pressure is now on David Cameron to 'flesh out' that detail.