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Written by Dr Eamonn Butler
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 |
There has been much erudite talk about the EU Reform (i.e.
Constitution) Treaty, but it is instructive to look at what its
provisions actually mean for ordinary folk, rather than for the
politicians.
First, there won't be much point complaining to Gordon Brown about bus
fares or electricity prices, because transport, energy, science and
sport policy will be decided by a majority of EU Ministers, with
Westminster powerless to resist. And if jobs, trade, health or other
public services, concern you, better get on the Eurostar, since there
are will be new central powers over all these things too.
Still, it could be worse. The new European Prosecutor might just turn
up and arrest you, in which case you can forget even the shaky
protections we have under the British justice system, since UK law will
be 'harmonized' into EU law. No point appealing to the Bill of Rights
either, since the EU version will eclipse it. And with the European
Arrest Warrant, you're quite likely to end up in a Greek jail where
they haven't heard of it anyway. Mind you, before your case comes up,
the new European Foreign Minister might have declared war on Iran, so I
guess things could be worse still.
On the basis of past experience, the 'red line' opt-outs that the UK
has negotiated are going to look rather faded before very long. They
won't save us from this coercive new centralization of government. A
referendum might.
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