Today, the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy will meet both Irish supporters and opponents of the Lisbon treaty in Dublin, to try and find some kind of way through Ireland’s earlier rejection of the Treaty by referendum. The Irish officials will not be happy because Sarkozy’s overall framework supposes that it is Ireland that needs to have a rethink, rather than the EU needing to go back to the drawing board. I can’t imagine that Cowen will be that happy to be told eventually (particularly by the French) that first, they have a problem because their citizens voted ‘No’ and second, they must act in a certain way (suggesting a second referendum) or find themselves sitting out of Lisbon as almost second class members of the Union.
Both the Czech and Polish presidents, Václav Klaus and Lech Kaczynski, said that there was no point proceeding with ratification after Ireland had voted No. So did William Hague. In fact, I was pleased to see Hague offer this forthright statement on 17th July: “As long as the Irish decision is not reversed the EU Treaty will not be in force at the next general election. A new Conservative Government would then take back the instruments of ratification and put the Treaty to a referendum, recommending a 'no' vote. That is the honourable and democratic thing to do.”
Earlier that day on 17th, Bill (Cash) was first off the block in the Commons to say that the UK ratification of Lisbon was inconsistent with the Government’s action on the original Constitutional Treaty following the French and Dutch votes, and rightly accused the Government of consorting with the French and other Member States in bullying the Irish into a second referendum.
Also on that day, Bill had also heard back from the Treasury solicitors on his renewal of application for judicial review, with regards to the Lisbon Treaty in relation to the Irish ‘No’ vote. Astonishingly, the Treasury solicitor merely wrote to say “I write to inform you that the instrument of ratification for the Lisbon Treaty was deposited in Rome yesterday … please confirm whether you wish to proceed…”
Bill Cash responded in a letter within minutes: ”… in the circumstances I have no option but to abandon the action, which I do under the greatest protest. This is an unwarrantable use of the Prerogative, as I would have explained to the Court on 31st July and as I have already indicated, I regard it as a disreputable act on the part of the Government given the decision not to pursue or ratify the original Constitutional Treaty following the French and Dutch ‘No’ votes in 2005.”
It cannot go on. The people of this country have observed the silence of the stalemate, confident that the European Club had the whip hand over their own Government and will certainly have the control over the Irish Government.
But of more concern, what if the Lisbon Treaty does come into force before the Conservatives are in, with the Irish having voted again? What will Conservative policy be then? Will a Conservative government undo/renegotiate our deal with Europe regardless of whether this Treaty is enforced? It is wrong/naïve to say the whole problem with Europe comes down to Lisbon. The overarching Conservative policy must be to renegotiate the Treaties as a whole and amend the European Communities Act 1972 to ensure that the UK Parliament has supremacy over the laws governing the United Kingdom.
