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EXPRESS COMMENT

IRELAND SHOWS US HOW TO PROTECT NATIONAL INTEREST

Saturday June 14,2008

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The rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the Irish people should bring to an end one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the European Union.

But it probably won’t. Veteran EU-watchers know that the quest to accumulate more power is an unceasing obsession for members of the unelected Brussels establishment.

Few will be surprised if fanatical Euro‑federalists start piling on pressure for Ireland to hold another referendum. They did just that when its people rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001.

They also refused to accept the verdict of democracy when the people of France and Holland voted down the original constitution in 2005. Europe’s ultra-cynical ruling elite simply rebranded the document as the Lisbon Treaty and advised member states to railroad it through without allowing plebiscites.

Gordon Brown went along with the plan, sneaking in late to the signing ceremony to give away yet more of Britain’s sovereign powers.

But alone among the 27 EU member states, the Republic of Ireland has a law guaranteeing national votes on such treaties. That law yesterday proved the salvation of all those people across Europe who wish to defend their nationhood.
But the British should never again have to rely on citizens of another nation to protect their sovereignty. Their own Government should be standing up for their interests.

Mr Brown must immediately withdraw parliamentary legislation enacting the defunct Lisbon Treaty as there is now no conceivable reason for putting it on to the Statute Book.

The verdict of the Irish exposes his political cowardice as never before. Everyone knows that the result of a British referendum would have been the same, except in one regard: the margin of defeat for the forces of federalism would have been much, much greater.

LISBON TREATY

14.06.08, 4:42pm

Your point about the Lisbon Treaty being a shameful chapter is taken but from where I am sitting both Milliband and Brown's deliberate lying in order to steamroll this closet constitution through Parliament is downright treason.Its about time that the electorate had an inviolable right, if necessary along the irish lines,to decide all or any changes that transfer powers from Britain to a foreign power and Cameron should have this at the top of his agenda when this arrogant shower are finally booted out.

• Posted by: pw • Report Comment