John Redwood

|

Government admits the draft EU Treaty represents the biggest ever sacrifice of vetoes in a single Treaty

In answer to a Parliamentary Question, the Foreign Office has listed fifty different areas where member stets will lose the veto if the new draft Treaty is passed by the IGC.

The government says that special deals to protect the so-called “red lines” will reduce that to 37 areas in the case of the UK.

The 37 unprotected areas include the loss of the veto over transport policy, energy policy, tourism, civil protection, space, research, and the common commercial policy. These are all very important areas. In a case like energy where the UK is one of two oil and gas producers in the Union, it might be very difficult to protect our interests in a majority voting system.  They also include the introduction of majority voting into some parts of defence and foreign policy.

The four ways of defending the so-called red lines – emergency brake, Protocol, Declaration and opt-in – are all weaker than keeping the veto. In the case of the opt in, once a government has opted in you cannot get the power back to make your own decisions, in crucial areas like immigration, borders, policing and choice of criminal offences.

The case for a referendum on this wide ranging give away of powers is overwhelming. Labour promised one to avoid all debate of this at the last General Election, knowing their support for this Treaty was unpopular. They should now do the decent thing, honour their promise, and show us they are serious when they say they want to listen to the people.

The Hansard text of John Redwood’s Parliamentary Question and Jim Murphy’s reply now follows:

European Constitution Treaty Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which areas will powers of national veto over European legislation and policy cease if the treaty agreed at the EU Council on 23 June comes into effect.