I would refer readers to this post from Helen, Your Freedom and Ours, one to which Richard North, EU Referendum, adds a very short, but pertinent comment. It is a subject on which I have posted previously, here, here and here.
As Helen so rightly posts:
"We shall see what those much-praised, much-vaunted Tory eurosceptics will do. HMG is unhappy with the idea of a establishing "a Committee of Inquiry into the economic implications for the United Kingdom of membership of the European Union". Who will rebel and say that it is, in fact, a very good idea, indeed?"That this requires an MP to further the process by proposing a debate will indeed be the question, coupled of course with how much 'whipping' might negate any such intention? No doubt Lord Pearson's proposal will be answered with the 'time-honoured' response that the benefits are so obvious that no such debate need take place. With all three parties wedded to membership of the European Union, contrary to reported public opinion, coupled with which one has to remember that said MPs have 'careers', when this reaches the Commons the response will be all too predictable!
And we do not live under a system of 'democratised dictatorship'?
Just saying................
4 comments:
Back in the early nineties Major set up a body to do a cost benefit analysis on the EU. The idea was to use it as a stick to beat the EUsceptic " Bastards" with. Although the report was drafted by pro-EU stooges when it actually came to the nitty gritty they couldn't isolate a single unadultarated benefit. On the negative side they found plenty of direct costs an innumerable indirect costs.
Major was horrified and buried the report. Years later the Bonehead Brown repeated the same " mistake" Again the conclusion was the same and the report never saw the light of day.
Does Sir Gus O'Donnell tell Dave such things have happened before. Does O'Donnell even know himself?
It is not clear at the moment whether the Bill will have any reasonable time in the Commons but I do hope it does get to Second Reading just so we can count the number of Tory "rebels".
It is becoming ever harder to argue that the benefits are such that they cannot be enumerated though the old chestnut about those 3 million jobs does come up.
A voter analysis of the EU question would be interesting.
You know the sort where you count the number of people who want to stay in and compare it to the number of people who want to leave.
I think there is a word for that sort of thing. Oh yes its called democracy. Definetly wont happen here then!! Democracy is a form of Government reserved for independent ex colonies. Too precious to be put into operation in the UK!
Anon: Any links to those two 'reports' or reports of them in the press?
Helen: It would indeed be good to see a second reading, however pound to a penny it does not get sponsored.
Anon (2): Watch what appears hear during the Christmas break and on 2 Jan 12
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