The Wardman Wire

A plea to Ireland: Vote NO.

It seems that the tide may just be turning in Ireland towards a no vote on the Lisbon treaty, and I hope that they do reject it. This is not some anti-EU rant but a call for fair play from the continent that was the birth place of democracy.

The case against referenda

In almost all circumstances I am against the idea of holding a referendum. It is almost always the case that politicians do know better than the masses, despite what the cynics might think. Of course they know more, they study the detail of the legislation. The chances of the professionals in parliament making the right decision far outweigh that of the apathetic and often badly informed public. I am not saying they always get it right, quite often there is no right answer, but they are far more qualified to make the decisions. However there are some important reasons why I think we should have a say on this matter – along with all the other European people.

A broken promise

Firstly, we were promised one – no doubt about it. Gordon Brown (via Tony Blair) was elected on a manifesto pledge: we will hold a referendum on the European Constitution. In the same way they defend taking unpopular action by quoting their manifesto, they should also honour it when they decide they’d rather not enact their promises.

Ok, so now it is the Lisbon Treaty, not the Constitution – but everyone bar the a few members of the British government say it has any significant differences. By trying to claim that it is somehow different and therefore not breaking an election pledge is a disgrace. It is treating the electorate with contempt and is the most blatant and pathetic example of shifting the goal posts. Underhand and unfair: a new slogan for Brown’s forthcoming election campaign perhaps?

Shifting the goalposts

Going back even further however, we see that Europe has already rejected this treaty once before and now the powers that be are trying to force it through instead. France voted no along with the Dutch and the constitution was a dead duck. But instead of honouring the will of some of the most pro-European people in Europe, they decide to shift the goal posts once again, change the name of document and force it through. It leaves me wondering why, if it is so good for Europe, are the people not supporting it and the euro leaders not being honest and open with us? Why are they forcing this treaty upon an unwilling public in such an undemocratic and sinister way?

Angry

It is not often politics actually makes me angry – I can be dispassionate and philosophical about most political decisions. But this one does make me angry. It is quite blatant and clear that democracy is being ignored and measures that will affect every single one of us are being forced upon us at any cost.

Europe or bust? Nonsense

Overall I am pro-European. But I am not pro what we have right now. The people who sponsor this treaty are trying to make out that Europe is all or nothing. Either we accept this treaty or we are all going back to the dark ages and economic ruin. Nonsense. What they forget to point out is that Europe can be shaped however WE want it to be. It is not all or nothing, there are many paths and directions we can take. The model should not be a federal united states, the time scale should not be overnight and the aim should not be at all costs.

The detail

The detail of the Treaty troubles me too. They say that it is only a treaty that ties up the loose ends and makes the EU function more smoothly. But what about the democratic deficit? They are not tackling the serious issues in Europe, but merely paving the way for more undemocratic “solutions”. Right now the EU is undemocratic with unelected decision makers – why would anyone vote for a treaty that further legitimises that?

It is broke. It does need fixing.

It is often said that if the EU itself were to apply for Community membership, it would be deemed too undemocratic to pass its own tests for admission. Surely that is enough reason alone to take a step back and start to think about the future of Europe instead of steam rolling over the people who make it up? If Ireland, a country that has done better out of Europe than just about anyone else, is in two minds about this surely something is broke and it needs fixing.