MPs have now voted on whether the EU (Amendments) Bill should get a second reading.
Most MPs couldn’t be bothered to attend the debate but still somehow considered themselves well-informed enough to vote in favour of a second reading. It wasn’t the victory that Liebour wanted though – 362 in favour and 224 against. There is considerable opposition in the Commons on both sides but will there be enough opposition when the final vote comes round?
The bill will now go to the House of Lords where there will be an opportunity to propose amendments and send it back to the House of Commons. Unfortunately, this Liebour government is addicted to the Parliament Act which allows them to bypass the House of Lords and pass the bill into law against the wishes of the Upper House if it is rejected by the Lords 3 times so even if 95% of the Lords rejected it, it can’t be stopped. We are entirely reliant on the MPs that just voted in favour of the EU Constitution to protect our sovereignty.
Technorati Tags: EU Constitution
Ah but wonko, as the government correctly point out – parliament is sovereign. There’s no notion of popular sovereignty in “British” politics, unfortunately. It is parliament which has given up its sovereignty to the EU…
I assume that the monarch supports this, or else we’d hear whispers?
If there are words in the English language to adequately illustrate how disgusted I am, and how much I abhorr those who support the bill, then I for one do not know them.
The PLP are scum, pretty much without exception. To refuse a referendum after promising one is tantamount to treason in my book. They refrain from agreeing to hold one, because they know that they would lose, and be humiliated in the process. The British people must be fucking mental to elect that bunch of cunts over and over again. The sooner the Bubonic Plague properly sweeps through the Labour Party, the better. It’s obviously already taken their brains.
I’m absolutely furious.
I’m not just furious about the apathy of the PLP on this matter. Not just furious about Gordon Liar Brown. I’m also furious that these Government spokesmen think that everyone, including the opposition parties and the anti “treaty” activists in their own party, are so stupid that they can be so blatantly lied to, especially when they’ve seen and heard EUropean politicians say how similar it is to the failed Constitution.
The sheer arrogance of these bastards is beyond belief.
“Parliament Act which allows them to bypass the House of Lords and pass the bill into law against the wishes of the Upper House if it is rejected by the Lords 3 times so even if 95% of the Lords rejected it”
yes. the democrativally elected representatives of the people can (rightly) overrule the unelected, appointed, unaccountable Lords. I see nothing wrong with that.
No, Calumn, but you must admit that it’s wrong to go back on a promise? The referendum, that is…
Not seen you about for a while Calum. This is something I’ve talked about several times and I am firmly of the opinion that the House of Lords should be completely hereditary. The Commons is tied to party politics and on virtually every issue you can see MPs voting against the wishes and interests of their constituents and against their own beliefs because their party wants them to vote a certain way. This isn’t something that happened often in the Lords before Liebour “reformed” it and stuffed it full of party members. It would be much more democratic if the Lords went back to the hereditary system where the political balance of the upper house would be random and not decided by the ruling party and for the Parliament Act to be amended so that anything rejected by the Lords 3 times would be put to a binding referendum, not just forced through regardless of what must be serious concerns of the Lords. You’ve got to remember that most MPs will do what’s most likely to get people to vote for them whereas the Lords don’t have to worry about whether what’s right is what will get them elected.
Wonko, this set up sounds an awful lot like the European Comission…
Not at all. They wouldn’t be foreign, they would have the interests of our own country at heart (so the theory goes) and in cases of dispute we, the electorate, would have the final say. By contrast, the EC is mostly foreign, have their own interests at heart and in the event of a dispute we get no say whatsoever.
Sorry, you miss my point. Neither the European Commission or the House of Lords are democratic bodies. The Lords – being composed of Lords – has not historically been a defender of the rights of common people. The Eurocrats are loyal defenders of capitalist power also.
Far better to abolish the House of Lords and introduce the people’s veto and citizen-initiated referenda at all level of government. Argue for more mass participation in government, Wonko, not less.
To me, a system which ensures that the Commons has no opposition isn’t as good as one that ensures nobody can tell what the political balance of the upper house will be. If people vote for Liebour in the Commons they aren’t going to vote for Conswervative in the Lords and that means the ruling party never has any opposition.
Labour got a minority of the vote in 2005, with no MP recieving more than 50% in their constituency.
The solution is not to tinker with the undemocratic house of lords, but have a fair voting system. Perhaps something like instant run-off (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting) like in the Mayoral elections?
And i can’t see there being such a problem (re: the EU constitution) if the citizens’ initiative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative) and people’s veto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veto#Switzerland) were enshrined in an English constitution which recognised that the people are sovereign, not parliament or the crown.
PS: Check out Matt Qvortrup’s pamplet on citizen’s initiatives (http://rebellionsucks.googlepages.com/ssp.htm)
“And i can’t see there being such a problem (re: the EU constitution) if the citizens’ initiative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative) and people’s veto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veto#Switzerland) were enshrined in an English constitution which recognised that the people are sovereign, not parliament or the crown.”
Good grief Charlie! Where on earth did you get such a strange idea? Didn’t you know that MP’s are placed on earth as only *they* know what is good and right for you. Blimey, you’ll have people thinking for themselves next.