[After the news that the British public want a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, here’s a exclusive blog from Stuart Wheeler. Stuart is one of the leading figures in the fight for a referendum, and he’s secured a High Court hearing (which began yesterday) over the Government’s refusal to hold one. Here at Coffee House, we wish him all the best with that, and thank him for his words below – Pete Hoskin]
There is one issue in the United Kingdom that transcends age, gender and political persuasion – democracy.
Democracy is the reason I am taking the Government to court this week. The people of Ireland will, on Thursday, get the right to decide whether to accept the Lisbon Treaty or not, but the people of Britain have had their right taken away.
This was a right that was promised to them on numerous occasions by the Government. The Labour Party made repeated promises before, during and after the general election of 2005 to give the UK a referendum on the EU Constitution.
Yet now we have a situation where the Prime Minister has reneged on this promise. The UK will not have a referendum on the Treaty because the text is “significantly different” to the Constitution. This is the argument that the Government’s top QC has been making in the High Court this week. The government has refused to produce documents which would very likely show that they refuse a referendum only because they expect they would lose.
But we know this not to be true. Leaders across Europe – including Valery Giscard d’Estaing, the author of the EU Constitution – have acknowledged, indeed almost gloated about the fact, that the Treaty is the Constitution in all but name.
And regardless of the name given to the document, the people of Britain want a referendum. I cannot remember a time when the country has been so unified on one issue. The Conservatives, Lib-Dems, Greens, students, pensioners and even the trade unions have all been outspoken in their demand for a referendum on the Treaty, even though the Lib-Dems have now gone back on it.
For the sake of democracy the Government should keep its promise and give the people of Britain the referendum they deserve.
Comments