Clarifying with a referendum the status of the United Kingdom in the European Union.

Political questions do not have an externally validated right answer: by definition they can be a matter of legitimate disagreement.  However, as in a battle, it is eventually necessary to have a clear direction agreed as the shambles of constantly changing attitudes is normally even worse than whatever positive decision is made.  The inevitable result of confusion is that the long term is sacrificed to short term political expediency.

The constant policy turns by the UK about Europe have meant that neither have our best people sought election to the European Parliament nor, unlike with France or Germany, has our Government machine ensured that our most able officials are seconded to Brussels and given every help in securing senior positions in the EU management structures.  This ambivalence has also meant that business and representative bodies have not built up as strong links with the EU as have other countries which tend to have far more active lobbying groups in Brussels.

The Lisbon Treaty in Article 50 provides for the first time explicitly in European law that a country may leave the European Union: '1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.' The Article provides for a two year transition period during which any new arrangements will be negotiated.  

Examples of being outside the EU but maintaining trading links are provided by Norway and Switzerland, Europe's two richest countries, which are both proportionally more dependent than the UK on trade with the EU.  They have signed a series of bilateral agreements with the EU which, in the case of Switzerland, include Free movement of people, Air traffic, Road traffic, Agriculture, Technical trade barriers, Public procurement, Science, Security and asylum and Cooperation in fraud pursuits

Both the Labour and Conservative parties shy away from any suggestion of a referendum on EU membership because they know that it will open up serious divisions within their respective parties.  In contrast the Liberal Democrats and UKIP are united in wanting to have a referendum on this EU question even though they seek an opposite result.  In the 2009 EU elections the Liberal Democrats and UKIP together obtained 29% of the vote and 33% of the seats.

83% of people in the UK (and 75% across the EU) wanted to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which they believed had been promised to them in the 2005 Labour Manifesto in relation to the new EU Constitution.  This was also in the context that there had been referendums in a number of other EU countries with notably the Irish being required by their constitution to have a referendum.

However during the debate on the Lisbon Treaty in the House of Commons in 2007, the Conservative MP, Ken Clarke, a former Chancellor and now a member of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet, said:  'It worries me that members of the political ruling class of this country have now lost their self-confidence and their ability to rely on their legitimacy as Parliamentarians to such an extent that no one among them dares defy the media, the hard-line Eurosceptics or any other people who demand a referendum.'

The first web response to this was posted by 'AlanofEngland' who said: 'Well, Mr Clarke, as the song goes 'the times they are a changing'. I note the use of referenda by this Government when it suited them, we all know what they are. I see how referenda are used so well in Switzerland, and I don't think they are awash with corrupt politicians, as we are. We now need this tool to balance the lies of our elite political class.'

'Andrew Hemsted' posted the comment: 'Ken should think that in the past we had more faith in our elected representatives to be more independent and less like career politicians to actually listen to what the public want.  At present we seem to be drifting towards a culture where our MPs have no idea how the rest of the country thinks and feels, hence us wanting a referendum.'

Legislation would be enacted to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act as amended.  If authorised by a referendum then the UK would leave the EU in line with Article 50 but would negotiate the strongest possible trading links with the EU.

 

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