Bill Cash MP is discussing a number of important amendments to the Treaty of Lisbon in five minutes, demanding the supremacy of the UK Parliament.
The Conservative Party have nothing but meaningless variations of these amendments, which is why I would argue that the Cash amendments needed to be supported - although I know full well that many Conservatives will not bother to vote for them. After all, they only show that:
1. That the legislative supremacy of the United Kingdom Parliament is protected from the impact of the UK’s implementation of this Lisbon Treaty;
2. That nothing under the Lisbon Treaty will affect the United Kingdom’s Bill of Rights, 1689;
The reason I say all of this? The only logic of defending a referendum is if the Party understands the total threat of the European project on the UK - it is obvious that this logic is only complete when the Party offers a post ratification-referendum and promises (by amendment) to defend the UK Parliament from the provisions of this Treaty. The Party's lack of commitment on this issue and its lack of interest in the real debates makes me very sceptical of where they are going on Europe.
Please read the two amendments for yourselves:
Bill of Rights 1689
Mr William Cash
Mr John Redwood
Mr Iain Duncan Smith
Mr Bernard Jenkin
Mr Richard Shepherd
Sir Nicholas Winterton
Mr Peter Lilley
Mr Michael Ancram
Mr Mark Field
Mr Brian Binley
Mr Adam Holloway
Mr Lee Scott
Mr John Whittingdale
Mr Christopher Fraser
Mr Charles Walker
Mr Humfrey Malins
Mr David Amess
Mr Graham Stuart
Mr Stephen Crabb
David T. C. Davies
Sammy Wilson
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Andrew Turner
Mr Greg Knight
Mr Philip Dunne
To move the following Clause:— ‘Notwithstanding any provision of the European Communities Act 1972, nothing in this Act shall affect or be construed by any court in the United Kingdom as affecting Article IX of the Bill of Rights 1689.’.
Supremacy of Parliament
Mr William Cash
Mr John Redwood
Mr Iain Duncan Smith
Mr Bernard Jenkin
Mr Richard Shepherd
Sir Nicholas Winterton
Mr Peter Lilley
Mr Michael Ancram
Mr Mark Field
Mr Brian Binley
Mr Adam Holloway
Mr Lee Scott
Mr John Whittingdale
Mr Christopher Fraser
Mr Charles Walker
Mr Humfrey Malins
Mr David Amess
Mr Graham Stuart
Mr Stephen Crabb
David T. C. Davies
Miss Ann Widdecombe
Sammy Wilson
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Andrew Turner
Mr Greg Knight
Mr Philip Dunne
To move the following Clause:— ‘Notwithstanding any provision of the European Communities Act 1972, nothing in this Act shall affect or be construed by any court in the United Kingdom as affecting the supremacy of the United Kingdom Parliament.’.