It is extremely encouraging to know from the debate on Wednesday evening on the EU budget that there are so many sound Eurorealists on Conservative benches. All of them who spoke, including Bill Cash, argued that they wanted a reduction in the budget – and of course a cut in the EU functions i.e. repatriation. This is about parliamentary sovereignty.
It was exhilarating to see that on the question of the assertions and the aggrandisement by the European Parliament over the 2011 Budget that Cash’s amendment was unanimously accepted by the UK Parliament (not just the Government). This challenge by the UK Parliament to a European Parliament proposal to increase the Budget was rejected on Cash’s initiative (and I might add, unprompted by the Government). However much one would wish it otherwise and because of other absurdly complex procedures laid down by the European Treaties, Justine Greening has to get on her side a blocking minority in the Council of Ministers to defeat European Parliament proposals. To win the argument, the wording of the amendments as part of this legislative procedure had to be effective to get the right result. And so we have it. And if you saw the debate on television, you will have seen the cheering on the Conservative benches as Cash’s amendment went through.
Interesting also how Cash announced in his speech as Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee that there will be a milestone inquiry in his Committee into the whole issue of the compatibility of the European Union’s assertions of their alleged superior jurisdiction over the Constitution of the United Kingdom and other Member States. It is therefore critically important and profoundly encouraging to see so many new and well-established Eurorealists in the House of Commons converging together in this time of political, economic and constitutional crisis. The tide is turning. This is a new era – the Labour Party having held the Chairmanship of the European Scrutiny Committee since 1979. This is the first time the tide has turned against the integrationist assumptions, on which the Committee has been appointed consistently by Governments of all descriptions since 1972. On the amendment and what it means, it is worth reading the transcript in Hansard rather than making generalised assertions – there is too much at stake.