The Wardman Wire

As the news informs us that MPs have decided not to allow us a democratic vote on the Lisbon Treaty…

The European Union and related issues is a topic that causes great schisms across most parties, one that is usually widest across the Conservative party, but recently it is the Lib Dems who have been most split by it, primarily over what we should have a referendum on, the “Libson Treaty” or EU membership itself.

Referendums and Democracy

Referendums are a form of direct democracy, whereby we the people answer a yes-or-no question on a subject of importance. In some countries, such as Switzerland, referendums are standard events. In others, such as here in the UK, they really aren’t. After all, we have had only one referendum ever. Which just happened to be on entry to what is now the EU.

Referendums are important events, no matter how often they are carried out, and just become even more important the rarer they are. After all, the last referendum decided that we would be members of the Common Market, which has become the EU without we the people getting another vote. Even though the last vote was held a decade before I was even born.

Why should we have a referendum?

The reason that we should have a referendum is because this is a substantial change in the structure of the EU. Whether or not you consider it “sensible housekeeping” or not, the fact is that it is a big change - the establishment of an EU President and Foreign Minister alone - deserves ratification by the people of Europe before it goes ahead. Whether or not you consider it any more or less important than other treaties passed, the fact that we didn’t have referendums on them doesn’t preclude one now. And whether or not you claim that it isn’t the EU Constitution, the comments of other European leaders tells another story.

Any democrat should be for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty - which Brown has already signed [and you can watch here], and at the time I argued that it shouldn’t have been until after ratification. If you are generally a Europhile or a Eurosceptic, that makes no difference on the idea of a referendum on this treaty if you truly believe in your case. It is we the people who should directly make this important decision that will undoubtedly decide the future direction of our country, whether for good or for ill.

Wrapping Up

Despite the historic lapse of referendums in this country, the fact that we have been denied the referendum on this issues that we were promised by the manifestos under which every MP in the House of Commons was elected is despicable. In fact, that the only other UK-wide referendum has been on the EU actually makes more of a precedent for this referendum than any other.

The only losers from this refusal by Labour and Lib Dem [and three Conservative] MPs to support we the people’s right to have a referendum on a defining issue such as this are Britain and Democracy. How can we go around exporting our democratic ideals to the rest of the world when we don’t even practice them properly ourselves?

There is simply no excuse for not holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. And Nick Clegg can’t weasel out of it by claiming to support an in-or-out vote on the EU in its entirety, as this is an absurd claim to make.

No true supporter of British democracy can object to this referendum. Because whatever the result is, it would be the decision of the people of Britain. And should be accepted by everyone, whether or not the result is supportive of their opinions. I know I would be. It just appears that the majority of our elected MPs would rather just make the decision without consulting us.

ThunderDragon