Could the Irish save OUR independence?

pete quentin, 22 January 2008

Parliament is currently debating the passing of yet more powers to the EU, through ratification of the successor treaty to the constitution, most eloquently described by Giscard d’Estaing, former French President and architect of the original document, as ‘the same letter; just in a different envelope’.

Just two current examples of where the EU already has a firm (although largely unnoticed) grip on British government:
“Biofuels will do the planet more harm than good” according to the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and yet the EU’s new energy policy will stimulate the production of biofuels through the provision of subsidies.
The government’s soon-to-be released plan to cut alcohol-related road traffic accidents through random testing runs contrary to the opposition for it within last year’s Road Safety Bill. However road safety is now an EU competence and the government is actually acting under duress from Brussels.
So yes, we are already well ‘under the influence’ of the European Union and yet there is every chance we will sign up to a Treaty that will establish an EU ‘legal personality’ and extend its powers still further, subsuming the UK into a European imperialist bureaucracy and making it little more than a regional authority.
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However there are some signs of resistance:
The Conservatives retain their position on a popular vote, although have not been so bold as to promise a retrospective referendum should they come to power any time soon.
There are countless grass-roots organisations campaigning at the local level. The ‘upgraded’ version of which is I Want A Referendum which is targeting several MPs, mainly in marginal seats, (although starting with Europe Minister Jim Murphy in East Renfrewshire) by organising mock referendums in their constituencies.
Although this will ‘virtually enfranchise’ 500,000 of the electorate it cannot be expected to have as direct an impact as the recent findings of the Commons EU Scrutiny Committee. But it seems even the committee Chairman Michael Connarty’s (Labour) warning, that ratifying the treaty represents “a massive and fundamental” shift of power to the EU, will be brushed aside by the government.
What the report hinted towards was the possibility of significant cross-party resistance, although this too looks likely to be somewhat stunted after last night’s vote, (although admittedly not specifically on the issue of a referendum) to support the bill in principle was won by 362 to 224 (even without the presence of either Messrs Brown and Miliband, again!).
Prospects for a referendum were further damaged this morning with Clegg’s announcement that the Lib Dems will oppose any vote in the Commons for a referendum. As William Rees-Mogg suggested in The Times yeaterday, it seems curious the Liberal Democrats should support the ratification of an EU treaty that will further take powers from its member state governments and their electorates – “the defeat for the idea of a liberal democratic Europe”.
Even come the House of Lords we may not see the resistance necessary to defeat ratification, so must look elsewhere for the possibility of genuinely robust opposition. Surprisingly it seems one of the best chances for this is the Irish.
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As far back as last June the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs admitted the Lisbon Treaty is 90% similar to the Constitution and Taioseach Bertie Ahern has firmly assured the Irish they will be granted a referendum on the treaty in May or June this year, as required by their own constitution.
The Lisbon Treaty needs to be ratified by each of the 27 member states to take affect, and further deny those member/satellite states the right to resist further engagement in the future.
Despite the level of financial support the Irish government receives from the EU, it’s reciprocal support for the constitution is not guaranteed, as proven by the rejection of the Treaty of Nice in 2001 (although later passed once reassurance was given that Irish military neutrality would be preserved, something that is once again a major concern with the EU pushing to take a greater role in international peacekeeping roles).
It seems there is an appetite for resistance in Ireland, with a number of similar grassroots organisations to those in the UK, including EUReform and an VoteNo.ie. In addition Sinn Fein has announced its opposition and is preparing to mount a national campaign, while the Green Party is split, leaving its members able to campaign as they choose. While these two parties may only hold 10 of Ireland’s 166-seat Dail they do command enough popular support to potentially tip the balance. This is not an impossibility as demonstrated by The Irish Times survey held last year that showed only 25% of the Irish electorate will definitely support ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.
I wouldn’t get carried away, the Irish electorate may not choose (at least they get a choice!) to save us all from this treaty, but how pleasing to see Irishmen fighting for OUR independence.