Thursday 27 November 2014

Let's Not Be Wrong Now

Some of us who are of the same generation as Mehdi Hasan, and whose roots are also mainstream Labour rather than any kind of Marxist, were thoroughly critical of the EU even when we were teenagers.
Which privatisation did the EU prevent? Which dock, factory, shipyard, steelworks or mine did it save? If we needed the EU for the employment law that, since we do not have it, the EU is obviously powerless to deliver, then there would be no point or purpose to the British Labour Movement.
Beyond fighting the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership every step of the way, Labour needs to commit itself, first, to the restoration of the supremacy of United Kingdom over EU law, and to its use to give effect, both to explicit Labour policy by repatriating industrial and regional policy (whereas the Conservatives are not committed to any specific repatriation), and to what is at least implicit Labour policy by repatriating agricultural policy and by reclaiming our historic fishing rights in accordance with international law: 200 miles, or to the median line.
Secondly, to the requirement that, in order to have any effect in the United Kingdom, all EU law pass through both Houses of Parliament as if it had originated in one or other of them.

Thirdly, to the requirement that British Ministers adopt the show-stopping Empty Chair Policy until such time as the Council of Ministers meets in public and publishes an Official Report akin to Hansard.

Fourthly, to the disapplication in the United Kingdom of any ruling of the European Court of Justice or of the European Court of Human Rights unless confirmed by a resolution of the House of Commons, the High Court of Parliament.
Fifthly, to the disapplication in the United Kingdom of anything passed by the European Parliament but not by the majority of those MEPs who had been certified as politically acceptable by one or more seat-taking members of the House of Commons.
And sixthly, to the giving of effect to the express will of the House of Commons, for which every Labour MP voted, that the British contribution to the EU Budget be reduced in real terms.

5 comments:

  1. You belong in Parliament. Either House but definitely as deputy to Ed.

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    1. Heavens, what a thought!

      Stand for Parliament? I can barely stand at all.

      A Labour Deputy Leadership Election is coming in the next Parliament, with several very strong candidates. How my several votes will be cast, I honestly do not know.

      But on-topic, please.

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  2. David Lindsay writes; ""Beyond fighting the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership every step of the way, Labour needs to commit itself, first, to the restoration of the supremacy of United Kingdom over EU law, and to its use to give effect, both to explicit Labour policy by repatriating industrial and regional policy"""

    This is the problem when people write about the EU without knowing the first thing about it.

    "Repatriation" is a fantasy-it is impossible. You cannot legally "reform" something that is based upon treaties-without the consent of all the other signatories.

    That's why no power-not a single one-has ever been "repatriated" from the EU. Ever. Think about that.

    The only way to compel the 27 other signatories to renegotiate any aspect of the European Constitution is to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Which puts you on the path to withdrawal. As Christopher Booker is blue in the face from explaining to idiots who talk about "reforming the EU".

    You shouldn't write about a subject you don't understand.

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    1. Rubbish.

      In fact, repatriation is extremely simple. Do the things set out here, every one of which could be done by primary legislation at Westminster, and EU membership or otherwise would become a technicality.

      It would matter hardly, if at all, whether or not we were in it, or what form its institutions took if we were.

      We could make that the case right now. We have always been able to do so. No renegotiation. No referendum. No fuss. Easy.

      People who choose to believe in giant bogeymen did not start doing so with the EU (which they supported joining, not least because they had another, equally fanciful, one at the time), and they would not stop doing so if the EU went away.

      But that is their problem. The reality could not be simpler.

      It does not impress me that you once read one book on the subject and thought that it agreed with what you already half-thought.

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    2. You are right of course. We could do this all this tomorrow and make it irrelevant whether or not we were technically in the EU.

      You are right about the bogeyman idea too, Enoch and the Labour Left alike saw through the nonsense about the USSR that the EU and NATO were supposed to be bulwarks against, so they opposed membership of both and correctly pointed out that they were practically the same thing.

      They were right then and you are right now. The big bad wolf in Moscow did not exist then and the big bad wolf in Brussels does not exist now. Get on with what you set out here and leave the children to their daydreams or nightmares.

      You can tell the grown-ups, they are people who have no time for such things. People like you. People who are not like that are childish, no matter who they are. That is how they should be treated.

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