PROMISES, PROMISES..
There was an interesting exchange in the Commons yesterday during Deputy Prime Minister`s Questions, at the end of which Labour`s Deputy, Harriet Harman, accused the Coalition of being "two parties bound together in mutual fear of the electorate." Nice turn of phrase but it seemed unfortunately timed on a day when Ed Milliband has virtually ruled out a referendum of Britain`s continued membership of the the European Union.
It`s just too boring to recount yet again the number of times we have been promised a referendum by the three main political parties, all of whom seem keen to deny the electorate the chance despite not having had a say for getting on for half a century. The cynic in me would suggest that, as ever, the politicians are denying the chance for their own ends rather than the clear wishes of those they purport to represent.
So, no referendum under Labour; certainly not if the Lib Dems have any say in it; the Conservatives might hold a referendum in 2017 if they are returned to power in next year`s General Election and if they have succeeded in renegotiating some undisclosed terms of the UK`s relationship with the EU which isn`t going to happen anyway following Angela Merkel`s announcement on her recent visit to London. The only outfit who are really promising a referendum are UKIP who are unlikely to have much representation, if any, in the corridors of power anyway.
I suggest we just give up, accept that we should carry on paying £millions to the EU each and every day, let them decide most of the laws by which we are governed and not question the appalling waste of taxpayers` money or the unaccountability of their hopeless financial controls; but instead have a referendum about whether we should continue our association with the Eurovision Song Contest. That`ll teach `em to meddle in the stuff that really matters! Boom Bang a Bang Bang!!
It`s just too boring to recount yet again the number of times we have been promised a referendum by the three main political parties, all of whom seem keen to deny the electorate the chance despite not having had a say for getting on for half a century. The cynic in me would suggest that, as ever, the politicians are denying the chance for their own ends rather than the clear wishes of those they purport to represent.
So, no referendum under Labour; certainly not if the Lib Dems have any say in it; the Conservatives might hold a referendum in 2017 if they are returned to power in next year`s General Election and if they have succeeded in renegotiating some undisclosed terms of the UK`s relationship with the EU which isn`t going to happen anyway following Angela Merkel`s announcement on her recent visit to London. The only outfit who are really promising a referendum are UKIP who are unlikely to have much representation, if any, in the corridors of power anyway.
I suggest we just give up, accept that we should carry on paying £millions to the EU each and every day, let them decide most of the laws by which we are governed and not question the appalling waste of taxpayers` money or the unaccountability of their hopeless financial controls; but instead have a referendum about whether we should continue our association with the Eurovision Song Contest. That`ll teach `em to meddle in the stuff that really matters! Boom Bang a Bang Bang!!
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