Watch Out for the Family Jewels

Whenever you see a person in a blue rosette approaching British gents carefully guard your family jewels. The French Europe Minister has said that the Tories plan for Europe is 'autistic' and 'castrating' Britain.

Yes it is true that the party that signed up to the Treaty of Maastricht and did most of the preparatory work on the Treaty of Amsterdam is now calling to undo parts of both, but call a referendum on any future Treaty. Considering how the Masstricht treaty was treated in the commons to get passed, as a vote of confidence, in all bar name, in John Major this seems like a ludicrous about turn for the Tories who have already been playing so wide on the wing to almost be as well as take a seat in the stands after joining their group of extremist Eurosceptics.

Pierre Lellouche, France's Europe Minister threw aside any diplomatic niceties when he said what he thought of David Cameron's approach:

"It's pathetic. It's just very sad to see Britain, so important in Europe, just cutting itself out from the rest and disappearing from the radar map …. This is a culture of opposition … It is the result of a long period of opposition. I know they will come back, but I hope the trip will be short.

"They are doing what they have done in the European parliament. They have essentially castrated your UK influence in the European parliament."

And want did he think of Cameron trying to rewrite the Treaties some of them crafted by his party predecessors:

"It's not going to happen for a minute. Nobody is going to indulge in rewriting [treaties for] many, many years. Nobody is going to play with the institutions again. It's going to be take it or leave it and they should be honest and say that. It is a time of tumultuous waters all around us. Wars, terrorism, proliferation, Afghanistan, energy with Russia, massive immigration, economic crisis. It is time when the destiny of Europe is being defined – whether or not we will exist as a third of the world's GDP capable of fighting it out on climate, on trade, on every … issue on the surface of the Earth.

"We need to be united, otherwise we will be wiped out and marginalised. None of us can do it alone. Whether you're big or small, the lesson is the same. And [Britain's] risk is one of marginalisation. Irrelevance. Finally we have institutional package, but it took 15 years of looking at our navel and getting everybody bored to death with sterile debate."

So what did Cameron promise when abandoning his 'cast-iron' guarantee on a referendum yesterday.

• For starters he is going to amend the 1972 (Heath Parliament) European Communities Act to not allow transfer of powers without referendums.
• Revisit some of the EU employment law set up under Maastricht 1992 under Major.
• Also looking at releasing some of the cross border powers of European security that was set up under Amsterdam just after the Blair Parliament came into being but largely negotiated under Major.

Ed Davey the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman called the hotch potch of ideas of how to claw back thing a 'confused middle road' saying:

"Cameron has already done enough to alienate Britain's allies across Europe by leading his party into the lunatic wilderness - now he wants to take Britain there too."

Working as I do in trans-European work environment like I do in a call centre that caters for many parts of the EU, with sites in two other European countries, I see practical implications of what he is trying to do. Removing fundamental rights from many of my co-workers could well lead to less 0f them being likely to want to take up work here, leading to issues for the rest of us if clients are unable to fill desired language sets here in Edinburgh. We have managed to weather the economic storm to some degree but whether on the back of that we can weather a Eurosceptic one as well is something that I don't want to have to find out.

So Here's to You Mrs Robinson (Something About Mary)

Writing in today's Scotsman* but repeated on his own website Lib Dem MEP George Lyon has outlined the Lib Dem objections to Tony Blair being named the first President of the EU under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty. In the same paper this morning families of Iraq soldiers killed in the Iraq conflict say that far from be elevated to President in Brussels he should go to the Hague to face charges of war crimes.

George ponders how the man who was responsible for the illegal invasion of Iraq, ignored millions across Europe who opposed the war, rode roughshod over our European neighbours who warned against it, angered Muslim nations who feared it, and circumvented the UN that tried to avert it, could possibly represent the EU on the world stage. Blair is seeking to use his role as a soft-landing after a hard fall, one we are also still hoping the economy although after his watch, but because of his Government's actions is also hoping for.

But Labour will tell us, who is the alternative candidate? Surely we need someone we can trust? Well George has an answer to Labour trying to promote their golden smiled hero to one last great office, and it is one I agree with, former Irish President Mary Robinson.

Not only did she enjoy a successful period as President of Ireland but after that she went on to be UN High Commissioner for Human Rights a role she also excelled at. While Blair made enemies for the UK and took away his own country's human rights, Mrs Robinson did just the opposite. She is a respected campaigner for human rights the world over.

In concluding George says:

"It is the duty of a responsible Government to back a candidate that can enjoy the support of the majority, not the minority. In backing Mary Robinson over Tony Blair, the UK Government can show that the position of EU President is far too important to be governed by tribalism.

"There is already a great deal of scepticism over the position of EU President, we should not add to it by fuelling the fire with nepotism. That is the danger the UK faces by backing Blair.

"So, here's to you Mrs Robinson. You've got my vote. It's time you had Britain's too."

George has even got a petition on his website that you can sign if you hate the idea of President Blair as well, I already have.

*Requires Premium membership of the Scotsman website.

The Cruel Statistics of Fate

What is in a number? As someone who works with them all day analysing them, creating reports based on them quite a lot. But there are certain numbers, 42, being a prime example that will always breing a smile to me face no matter how hard the day has been.

Therefore when a number has double meaning it sticks out even more. Last night as you may well be aware, if not you must have avoiding all British Media outlets successfully, ammendment 293 of the EU (ammendment) Bill failed. It was a Conservative ammendment calling for a referendum on Lisbon Treaty. It was defeated by 63 members of the House, ironically exactly the same number as the number of MPs the Liberal Democrats have in the House of Commons. The party who imposed a three line whip no to vote.

It was like fate was pointing out something there. That one number would have had even bigger ramifications if all 63 of the Lib Dems had abstained, as then if the party had not abstained it would undoubtedly have fallen upon the Speakers Chair for the casting vote.

It first struck me last night when I saw the number flash up on BBC Parliament, but then numbers do that to me. However, I didn't post it earlier as I felt it would only have diluted the point of this mornings thoughts. But the more I went over it this morning the more the number kept coming back to me.

Were the Fifteen Truer on Principle?

Altogether yesterday fifteen Liberal Democrat MPs ignored Nick Clegg's call to follow the majority view of the Parliamentary Party to abstain on the issue of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. But did Alistair Carmichael, Tim Farron and David Heath resign from the front bench in vain or were they holding true to the manifesto promises? Did the 12 others who joined them on the two divisions get it wrong?

Personally I was sitting with 2005 manifesto in hand as I listened out the end of the days debate, which included my own MP who is also Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee. The exact pledge to the public that is at issue is:

European enlargement means the EU needs reform to become more efficient and more accountable. The new constitution helps to achieve this by improving EU coherence, strengthening the powers of the elected European Parliament compared to the Council of Ministers, allowing proper oversight of the unelected Commission, and enhancing the role of the national parliaments. It also more clearly defines and limit=s the powers of the EU, reflecting diversity and preventing overcentralisation. We are therefore clear in our support for the constitution, which we believe is in Britain's interest - but ratification must be subject to a referendum of the British Public.

Does the Lisbon Treaty not set out to do all the things listed above? Is not what 62 of those MPs, the exception being the MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, myself and hundreds of others stood on just under 3 years ago? Isn't that what we our party approved at conference almost exactly 3 years ago?

In my view the three front bench spokespersons got it right along with John Pugh, Annette Brooke, Richard Younger-Ross, Martin Horwood, Greg Mulholland, Sandra Gidley, John Leech, Mark Williams, John Hemming, Paul Holmes, Andrew George, and Mike Hancock. We are a party of principle and these 15 maintained theirs.

Is Brown Feeling the Lisbon Heat?

It appears that the lackadasical start to Gordon Brown association with the Lisbon Treaty, being detained in London on the most whimsical of excuses while it was being signed are a thing of the past.

He is now turning up the heat on the other parties. On one hand he accuses the Tories of appeasement to eurosceptics, while simultaneously refusing to uphold his election pledge to hold a referendum on constitutional change required to ratify the traty. While on the other he is attacking the Lib Dems of doing nothing when in effect they are seeking to do far more.

Watch this space as no doubt others will be posting as events unfold this evening.

It's Good To Talk About It

See what happens when people get together to talk about things. All the bitterness of days gone by can be laid to rest.

Nick and the current incumbent of the Speaker's Chair Michael Martin got together to talk about the spat that erupted in the House on Tuesday. Especially as the amendment calling for a referendum had apparently been accepted by Commons clerks therefore making it eligible for debate.

The whole debacle seems to come down to whether the Lisbon Treaty is a reworking of the European Constitution. Under a very slightly different guise and a totally different name. Seeing as all three main parties promised a referendum on the Constitution in the last General Election in 2005, it depends on how much the Lisbon Treaty comes under the requirements for a public con census.

The Lib Dems clearly believe it does and the whole referendum should be on membership. The Tories also say they are substantially the same and the public should have a vote on the treaty. Only Labour with a reputation for stealth, subterfuge and downright lies seem to think the two should be treated differently.