Gordon Brown’s EU treaty nightmare

Brian Walker

This, as you must know as a Scot, is a bit phooey. The Celtic referenda were about setting up wholly new institutions - without incidentally giving the English say. Are the poor English referendum-starved? Not a bit of it. Why do the Tories want middle England to adopt one of the least attractive Celtic postures and become an aggrieved society? Of course Cameron will make quite a bit of capital out of Labour going back on its 2005 word. But that will hardly shape the defining trend that wrecks Gordon's reputation with a generally Euro-indifferent public. So come on, good try, but you know I'm right.

Sarah Shane

A good piece but with a peculiar omission, given the title. In his November 1990 resignation speech, Geoffrey Howe said, "But it is crucially important that we should conduct those arguments upon the basis of a clear understanding of the true relationship between this country, the Community and our Community partners. And it is here, I fear, that my right hon Friend the Prime Minister increasingly risks leading herself and others astray in matters of substance as well as of style." (And there followed much more in that vein.) It's no exaggeration to say that Thatcher, too, was felled by the "Europe question". Never mind Major...

Gervas Douglas

I cannot imagine why commentators were so naive to portray Brown as a man of integrity. If you examine his record as Chancellor, he had a great talent for making speeches which were totally belied by his actions - the crypto-communist talking grandly of free markets.

Lior Cox

The English ARE referenda starved. The Europe obsessed Ted Heath (late of the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War) took us into Europe in what was to amount to the Westminster Parliament's last independent act. Harold Wilson (earning himself MBE for eating sandwiches under trying conditions during the war when the rest of the country was saving Europe from itself) spent other people's money - as was his wont - in a hollow gesture of a referendum knowing the nation had been grandiloquently lied to. Since then, the Scots and Welsh have been allowed to determine their own national destinies (and the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland have boiled down to water rates - a spurious excuse to kill). By the time we stop fantasizing that the United Kingdom still exists, Gordon Brown will have gone the way of all British prime ministers since entry into Europe - because of Europe. His one big problem is not however Europe. It is because he's a Scot who thinks he's English. There will then emerge from the non-global warming recesses of the Conservative Party a representative of the majority of these islands' population, an Englishman, who will rightly determine that Europe is a 1950s answer to a 1930s problem and admitting that whatever the UK was is no more, take England out of its domestic union and that of Europe as well. And good riddence to the lot of 'em. We may then have a debate as to whether England is best allied to the other English-speaking peoples much as Winston Churchill envisaged, or content to be a small independent nation alongside others in the North Sea Area like Norway and Iceland. Perhaps the Maritime Provinces of Canada will join her when Canada finally splits up and bits of it join the USA. Whatever happens will be the fine print, however. As to Scotland and Wales and Ireland, I wouldn't dare pronounce. I am an Englishman, and this referendum-starved creature is no longer allowed to pass comment. But English independence outside both unions is now the country's destiny and we had better get used to the idea. Because this is what the future holds.

Chris

This article drips with the author's wishful thinking. "Europe" or rather its extreme wing's xenophobia (except for in relation to the Americans whose every demand they would follow to the letter) has destroyed the conservative party and continues to do so. It's the tories that have the problem. Despite the fact that the British have given anti-European parties a minute share of the vote at every chance - look what happened to Michael Foot's labour and the tories under that ridiculous clown Hague - we are constantly told we are against the EU. We are not. We, the British, are a European people, as anyone with any real patriotism understands. Our future and our best interest lies in Europe. It's very sad for Britain that until the tories realise that (a few mad old men have to shuffle of before that can happen), we have no effective opposition to a pretty awful government.

John Buckham

I really do start to wonder what gun is being held to the head of PMs when they get into that office. Is it the foreign office, all those advisors, or is something darker afoot? I can't believe SIS are pro-EU - or have we got that wrong. What is being played here, apart from anti-democratic forces? The people know they have been had - this continues more of the same. If he showed vision on this he could win over the country. There's so much talent in the UK - if it was allowed to rip the country would be leaving the rest of the EU behind in a decade. Can someone find Mr. Brown's ear - if he presses on this really is the start of the Tory's route back to power - if they grasp it.

George Steiner

I expect, the patriotic Chris speaks at least a half a dozen of the 24 European languages

John Francis

Mr Brown proved his greatness by keeping us out of the Euro when Mr Blair was at his zenith. The whole thrust of British policy since Mr MacMillan was PM has been to do what ever "Europe" wanted. Mr Brown has done more than the Conservative Eurosceptics or anyone else to protect British interests.

Alexander Stilwell

The point is surely not why we are being led up the garden path by both New Labour and the European Union, but what we are in danger of losing and why we are in danger of losing a great deal more than the Continental European nations, many of whom are either comparatively new to democracy or recently created. The Spectator would do a service to its readers by producing a thumbnail sketch of the English constitution and its institutions, encompassing habeas corpus, the common law, Magna Carta, and all the rest of it.

Gerard Flannery

Gordon Brown might have some problems with Europe right now, but compared to Cameron,they are nothing.Cameron clamoured for Brown to give in and say yes to a referendum (something Cameron would never do,nor would he ever dare to.Europe is still the Tory weakness)This is the subject which will destroy them,just wait and see.