Matthew d'Ancona Toes The Party Line

As usual with Matthew d'Ancona, in his Sunday Telegraph piece, he adheres to the Conservative Party line with the same ability as that of a limpet. It is beyond doubt that Matthew d'Ancona is an educated person, with a keen mind, yet one has to question his thinking.

How anyone can consider the present, probable, Conservative shadow government as 'unequivocally Eurosceptic', God only knows. To swallow the promise of 'repatriating powers' and to believing that a referendum will be granted on any further 'transfer of power' does call into question d'Ancona's mental state. For his benefit and those still labouring under a belief that what Cameron said is correct - there will be no other treaty - Lisbon is self-amending and the EU can take as a 'competence' whatever area of government they like. To believe that the EU will agree to Cameron's demands for repatriation of powers in specified areas is to believe the moon is, indeed, made of cheese.

What is 'jurisprudential nonsense' is the belief that a referendum is unnecessary and that one could then be held in 2015, when Cameron will not have succeeded in his 'repatriation of powers'. By then the claws of the EU will be so deeply embedded in the UK it will not be possible. What never ceases to amaze me is the denial that a referendum should be held now and that it should ask the question of who is to govern this country. Because that, in 2015, will in fact be the question of the referendum, were one possible then, so why not 'cut to the chase' and hold it now? It is disengenious of Cameron to say that more important matters face the country, like our balance of payments deficit, when the mechanics of the country's finances are, in fact, dictated by the EU.

d'Ancona is correct on one point - yes, 'the sweet smell of imminent electoral success has sedated the Tory party' but only because the Conservative Party are self-assured of victory at the General election and do not want 'to rock the boat'. He is also correct to point out that the longer the EU problem remains, the harder it becomes to unpick, yet he, too, denies the one simple remedy that even Chris Bryant stated just this week gone and that is all it takes is for any government to have the will power - and guts - to repeal the European Communities Act 1972. It is that simple!

Eurosceptics face a double challenge and that is firstly, the 'hold' the media exerts on the public with their reporting and commenting on 'matters EU' with lies, half-truths and downright denial that a problem exists. Secondly, the failure of 'honourable' politicians of the Con/Lab/Libdems political elite to even admit that a problem exists.

For MEPs, such as Hannan and Helmer, to 'rebel' is a great deal easier than MPs, such as Carswell and Redwood who were they to 'speak out' would, no doubt, result in their deselection by Conservative Central Office. However to those two MPs - and other Eurosceptics, regardless of party - I would have to ask on which of your loyalties lies the greater onus - your party or your country?

In the months to come we will, without any doubt, find out.


Update: Janet Daley is another who cannot 'see the light' over the referendum question. As I am only too aware, a referendum on Lisbon is pointless, but not on the 'sovereignty' question! Prattling on about the subjects of education and health, she forgets that under the 'equality of services' agenda, the EU will, at some point, assume competence on these matters. To hope that 'one day the peoples of Europe may walk away from their oppressors' is short-sighted and, in the meantime Janet, you would like us to suffer when the alternative is so simple?