Lord Leach of Fairford: A Queen's Speech fit for today's economic emergency

A few weeks ago ConservativeHome published an Alternative Queen's Speech, written by a variety of Tory MPs. Rodney Leach, Baron Leach of Fairford is Chairman of Open Europe and a successful businessman. He offers another Alternative speech - this time focused on the economic emergency.

"Great emergencies demand an emergency response. We can't save the Eurozone from itself, but we can do a lot more to protect ourselves from its worst effects.

Without debt reduction there is no way back to economic health, but that’s not enough. For the duration of the crisis the government will single-mindedly subordinate other objectives to policies whose purpose is the promotion of economic activity. If this entails U-turns or “betrayal” of a Coalition agreement made in very different times, so be it.

We will start by cancelling the High Speed Rail project and switching transport spending to a third London runway and the elimination of road bottlenecks. Britain must retain - or regain - its status as an airline hub, so commitment to a new airport in the Thames Estuary will be announced within three months.

Water shortages are largely unnecessary. We will revive disused connecting canals and start construction immediately on the five southern reservoirs previously approved but later cancelled.

Lord Leach of Fairford: The European Union Bill urgently needs to be amended to prevent the steady mission creep of new EU laws and accretion of powers

Lord Leach of Fairford is chairman of Open Europe whose analysis and recommended amendments to the Bill are to be found here.

The Government’s European Union Bill will return to Parliament on Monday. The Bill is the best opportunity many MPs will have during the lifetime of this Parliament to increase their influence over Britain’s relationship with the EU. For decades, Parliament has seen its position weakened through successive EU Treaties, in turn undermining national democracy and people’s faith in politics. 

This Bill would, with some important amendments, not only grant people a say in any future treaties (through referendums) but also do much to re-establish Parliamentary control over EU laws and moves to transfer powers from Westminster to Brussels.

However, as it stands the EU Bill has some loopholes which urgently need to be plugged if it is to withstand the steady mission creep of new EU laws and accretion of powers. MPs have tabled a series of amendments that would go a long way to address these leaks. Open Europe has set out the most important ones which MPs from across the political spectrum should support as a matter of priority.

Justice and home affairs is the field where the EU gained the most competence under the Lisbon Treaty. As the German Constitutional Court pointed out in its authoritative ruling on the Treaty, crime, policing, justice and immigration are all crucial areas for the ability of any nation to govern itself. Parliament therefore needs to regain full control over when powers in these hugely sensitive fields are being handed over to the European Commission, to MEPs and not least to EU judges. With some simple amendments to the EU Bill, such parliamentary control could be restored overnight. This would not mean that the UK will never sign up to an EU Justice and Home affairs law ever again – only that such decisions would be preceded by proper and transparent debates in Parliament and media. How can anyone object to this?