Has Call Me Dave been telling porkies yet again? Open Europe press summary for today reports that Vince Cable has " ruled out taking powers back from the EU, saying the coalition Government would pursue a “deregulation agenda” at EU meetings and summits, adding: “It is a way of making European processes work in a less cumbersome way, rather than reopening treaties. We are not at the moment specifying powers that need to be repatriated. We think we can operate within the framework we've got."
Now that ain't what Call Me Dave said during the general election campaign and his manifesto promise on 'Europe' to bring back certain powers to Britain was quietly dropped from the coalition programme for government. Vince Cable has ruled out taking powers back? WTF, Vince Cable? And we all know why neither Call Me Dave nor St. Vince want to re-open treaties as that would then trigger a referendum. While it is also well known that Open Europe is a tad Europhile it is not surprising therefore that Mats Perrson reckons that "Cameron will come under massive pressure from his own ranks but he should not fear going down this road. If successful, Cameron would set an important precedent for Europe by which powers can be brought back to member states as well as handed over to the EU." No Mats, no f'ing powers should be handed over, ever!
Oh and Eurosceptics can forget any possible referendum over the admission of the extra 18 MEPs too as this will be effected by a protocol, according to Open Europe who quote Conservative Home. Also on the basis that the Lisbon Treaty is self-amending - and that therefore there won't need to be any other treaties - the promise of a 'referendum lock' to ensure that any future treaties are subject to a referendum is a pointless Bill and may as well be shelved.
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