Semantics

Having been out all day and even having done a quick check on the blogosphere, am still not too sure if anyone has 'picked-up' on this from the Open Europe press summary for today - so.......

"National diplomats have this morning finalised changes to the Lisbon Treaty in order to allow 18 extra MEPs to take their seats. EU leaders agreed at last week’s EU summit to launch an Intergovernmental Conference to handle the required treaty change. This short IGC was dealt with at “Coreper II”, the meeting of the permanent representatives of the member states in Brussels. Now it is up to national parliaments to ratify the treaty change. Despite already taking their salaries, the 18 additional MEPs cannot take their seats before the ratification is finalised in all 27 member states."

We were not allowed a vote on the Lisbon Treaty by either party in the Con/Lib/Lab 'clique'  for differing, but extremely similar, reasons, as we all know the response would have been one that they did not wish to hear.

However, regardless of that fact, regardless of the fact that the addition of 18 MEPs may, or may not, be argued as 'a further loss of power' the fact remains that the original treaty has been amended or changed. It matters not how it has been changed - whether it is an additional comma or full stop, whether it is a new paragraph - it has been changed and must logically mean that it becomes a new Treaty.

Back in November 2009 Call Me Dave promised that any new Treaty would be subject to a referendum - mind you, we all know what a 'Call Me Dave Promise' is, do we not? To refresh your memory, remember this?  Now we find that, if this story in the Mail is correct, he is about to 'do the dirty' on his country once more. Remember also, this is the man who revels in the Parliamentary title of Rt. Honourable - Rt. Liar would be nearer the truth - and he is not alone in being given that 'accolade' either!

Maybe, when the 'recall system' of MPs - suitably 'phrased' by our politcal elite to make it difficult for us, the voter to actually bring about - comes to pass, perhaps the good people of Witney constituency might find the 'Ed' to actually call him to account - but I won't hold my breath that the robotic 'blue-rinse' conservative voter, who can't see beyond the end of their proboscis, will!