Is Ming Campbell helping out his old mate Gordon Brown with that tricky old EU Treaty? My blood is boiling. I don't think that I have seen a more cynical piece of political maneuvering like Ming's in a long time. Brown doesn't want to give us the referendum his party promised in its manifesto. David Cameron on the other hand believes it would be a betrayal of British citizens not to hold one.
Now in steps Ming the meaningless. What hope do the Libdems have of getting into power? I'll tell you: one very slim chance by the means of forming a coalition government with Labour after the next general election. We now have two Labour parties: Gordon's Big Labour Party and Ming's Little Labour Party. So now we are seeing Ming being a good Little Labour boy by trying to muddy EU Treaty Referendum waters. This is what Ming is proposing and it plays out beautifully for his mate Gordon:
“If there is to be a referendum it shouldn't be restricted to a comparatively minor treaty. It must be a decision about the EU as a whole. Let’s have an honest debate on the European Union followed by a real choice for the British people. That means a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU. We would ask the British people the big question - whether to remain in the European Union or not. I will lead the Liberal Democrats at the forefront of that debate. We will make the overwhelming case for Europe and trust the people to make the right choice.”
You see, Ming, like Gordon, does not want a referendum on the EU Treaty. Instead of just being straight and coming out with it, Ming is doing Gordon a favour by trying to change the question from:
Do you as a citizen of this country want a referendum on the EU Treaty?
To:
Do you as a citizen of this country want to remain in the EU?
I think we can all see what this policy of Ming's is intended to do. He's trying to throw us of the scent. Ming and Gordon both believe that if it comes down to it, we could vote to stay in the EU. However they are both damn sure we will vote against the Treaty.
10 comments:
why not get us out of the EU altogether. They will always let us back in if it does not work out as we are a huge net contributor!
I agree, we put much more in than we get out. However one step at a time. What I would like to see is the EU revert to what it was meant to be in the first place - a trade agreement. Nothing more.
Personally I'm not very interested in losing my EU citizenship. It means I can live and work in places with a much better quality of life than the UK. Whatever we put into the EU, I don't see us getting anything out of it if it was kept in the UK.
I can see this turning into a "What did the Romans ever do for us" sketch.
I've just written about this and the Life Of Brian did indeed come to mind, I hope Ming gets his way, then we can get out of the EU completely.
I fear the europhile's will go all out to turn any referendum campaign into an "in-or-out" issue. Thus scaring the horses into voting yes for the constitution and pre-empting any real opportunity for a proper debate on Europe. And when they have no answers they'll simply tie up the debate with the complicated minutae of the constitution, and simply bore the electorate into submission!
If we're not careful, the fundamental arguments about the cost of EU membership, national self determination and the democratic deficit will be lost.
Its very tricky.
Yes it does look like LibDem collusion to get them a slice of power and Brown is so cynical and Cameron so weak I can see where this thing is going. What the Tories need now is a leader, to make the machinations of the other two irrelevant.
Jo, I agree completely.
James, I could not disagree more. I believe we need to show unity just now. Brown is trying to show the public that there is no need for an opposition - with his "all the talents" crap. We need to show there is a strong and united alternative to what Brown as to offer. Squabbling only helps Brown.
The 'big dilemma'is not about whether or not we should be in the EU, but about how we should be linked (either tightly or loosely) to the EU.
By transferring the argument to a different question he is trying to carry over our sanction of something that we do not disagree with, in general, to something else that he would like us to swallow.
I find Ming's use of such an old and transparent propaganda technique (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?
title=Transfer_(propaganda_technique)) rather unflattering.
Even europhile Plaid Cymru are in favour of a referendum.
Post a Comment