Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

SPANISH OMELETTE

Last weekend the Spanish people were the first to ratify the new EU Constitution. There were no surprises. The turnout was low: less than 50%, the majority voted yes, and 9 out of 10 people when questioned admitted they did not have the foggiest idea what was contained within it!

And that is my real concern about the path the EU is taking. We are in danger of sleepwalking, salami slice by salami slice, into a constitutional settlement that we do not want. There is a small political elite at the heart of Europe that is driving this outdated project on, whilst the vast majority are broadly agnostic, understandably getting on with their real lives.

The Constitution itself is not evil; it will not bring the world to its an end or the country to its knees. But it is unnecessary; contains some daft provisions – for example a European Foreign Minister (we couldn’t agree over Gibraltar, Kosovo, Afghanistan or Iraq so good luck to poor soul who gets that job); and above all it is another step in the onward march towards a centralised United States of Europe with more decisions made at the centre, rather than nation state level.

The British people are promised a referendum on the Constitution. This is very welcome and extremely significant. But there is a catch. The government propose to hold this plebiscite in late 2006; almost certainly after every other member state will have done so. Imagine the pressure we will come under if everyone else says yes!

We should resist that pressure. We should make our own decision. If we reject it, the legal position is the same as if ten countries reject it: the Constitution falls. In that situation, the heads of government in the EU would simply have to meet again and thrash out a better way forward.

Does that better way exist? I believe so: a more flexible EU where not every state has to sign up for every centralising scheme, a Europe where decision-making is handed back to the nation states wherever possible.

Can such a Europe emerge from a failed Constitution? I believe so: because many of the new countries share our vision for a flexible EU. They did not escape the yoke of their Soviet masters only to bow the knee to diktat from Brussels.

But this is only possible if we reject the Constitution when we get the chance. Let’s do it!

posted by Nigel on Thursday, March 03, 2005