I Beg Your Pardon, Nick - Did I Read You Right

I have to make a slight caveat on this post and any that follow. Having been out all day I have not yet 'caught up' with what has been said elsewhere, so if I am repeating anything my fellow bloggers have said - my apologies. I also apologise for the delay in posting, this being due to the abysmal slow internet speeds offered by BTOpenzone earlier this evening - roll on today week when I get my phone landline and broadband connection!

Nick Clegg, in an interview given to the Financial Times, is quoted as saying that the Coalition Government would not use the negotiations over a new EU treaty to repatriate powers from Brussels to London, through a referendum and that they are not proposing to 'go backwards'.

Admittedly the Coalitions 'manifesto' - The Coalition our programme for government - did not contain any promise of repatriation of powers, however Cameron did previously promise that would happen in a speech, entitled "Fixing Broken Politics", on 26th May 2009 when he said this:

"A progressive reform agenda demands that we redistribute power from the EU to Britain and from judges to the people. 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."

It is well known and acknowledged by all political commentators that Cameron, in his negotiations with the LibDems enabling him to form the Coalition, had to compromise on policies. What is interesting is that Cameron obviously did not have the courage to tell his MPs, who were asking for repatriation of powers as a bargaining point in return for acceptance of the new treaty, that it weren't going to happen. Rather than eat humble pie in front of his own MPs, Cameron 'chickens out' and gets his junior partner to 'lay down the law' on his behalf via a newspaper 'interview'. The phrase 'tail wagging dog' springs to mind!

Following the meeting of the Heads of State in Brussels, Cameron returned 'trumpeting' the fact the fact that the UK would not be subject to the 'penalties' envisaged as these only applied to the eurozone and in any event is covered by Protocol 15 the the Lisbon Treaty. What he did not - and has not - answered is the point that is contained in article 34 of this document. For those who did not see my post on Cameron's Press Conference, I repeat that article in full:

"The Task Force recommends deeper macro-economic surveillance with the introduction of a new mechanism underpinned by a new legal framework based on Article 121 TFEU alongside the SGP applying to all EU Member States, taking into account the specificity of the euro area. The implementation of this mechanism would be done in a way to ensure consistency with the surveillance of fiscal policies, growth-enhancing structural reforms and macro-financial stability, and to avoid duplication and overlap." (my emphasis)

Clegg may well preach that the 'There is no interest for the EU in getting entirely on the wrong side of public opinion on this budget issue…They have got to get real.' and gives the impression that it is up to the Commission and Heads of State, yet ignores the fact that under the Lisbon Treaty the EU Parliament has what is termed 'co-decision'.

Anyway attempting to reason with the Coalition is akin to banging one's head against the proverbial brick wall - (a) they never listen; and (b) the don't understand the treaty or the procedures the treaty introduces. Far more important about Clegg's statement is the affront to the democratic process. I posted only yesterday about the fact that what I have been calling 'democratised dictatorship' should now drop the word 'democratised' as we truly do live under a dictatorship. The quotation at the head of that post is worth repeating:

"All governments are more or less combinations against the people....and as rulers have no more virtue than the ruled.....the power of government can only be kept within its constituted bounds by a display of a power equal to itself, the collected sentiment of the people."

On the basis that the Coalition programme for government never received the assent of the people - but was imposed on the people - that the Coalition refuse to grant the people a referendum on the basic question of EU membership; it is no wonder that the calls for a display of 'people power' - in order to express the collected sentiment of the people - is gathering support. The film "V for Vengeance" was slated as, to put it politely, crap - yet those who have seen the ending know that the Houses of Parliament were blown up. The only change to the film script I would make, should the events of that film actually occur, would be to make sure the majority of the inhabitants were in their seats!

To paraphrase Matthew 26:52 - those that live by politics shall die by politics. Personally I don't care whether these traitorous bastards get blown to smithereens or are suspended from lamp posts - but removed from our presence they surely will, the method being entirely of their own choosing.

On the subject of removing the present incumbents in the HoC and HoL, I notice that Nigel Farage has won a resounding victory in the UKIP Leader election. One can but hope that this time round, Farage will get a grip on his party and appoint someone who has, at least, some idea of political party planning, administration and public relations. Ukip's website is a mess, the party structure is a mess and - as with the HoC and HoL - both need 'cleansing'. Personally, I give Farage 6 months to make a difference or I will be looking for somewhere else to place my 'X' come the next general election. Either Farage does 'turn Ukip round', or someone, somewhere needs to start a new party, properly structured and staffed and which really does fight for this country's independence and self-rule.