All the major parties have now said they will whip MPs to vote against Tory MP David Nuttall's bill to force a referendum on EU membership.
This is exactly what I've been saying for many years on this blog and elsewhere that effectively we live in a one-party state. There is no choice other than to continue with the staus quo.
If there was true democracy there would be a free vote for MPs in Parliament and there would also be a referendum; a referendum promised by David Cameron before the last election which he reneged on.
Membership of the EU is one area where our government know they will lose and they are scared of allowing us to vote. Well, until there are enough east European immigrants to sway a vote probably.
The thing is, across the country, across a whole swathe of our lives from work, home, shopping; in fact every aspect of our lives, the EU has jammed its interfering sticky fingers. Some of it is good, but the majority of rules, regulations and standards brought about by the EU have either been petty or unwarranted, or down right disastrous for the UK. The prime example being the common fisheries policy, which has allowed foreign fishermen to rape UK seabeds and decimate our fishing fleet for foreign gain.
In every aspect of our dealings with the EU, we have come worst off. I cannot think of a single incidence where the UK has benefitted in a significant way from an EU ruling. Where is the fairness in that? If we've surrendered our seabeds, where is the compensation?
The EU as an institution is unfair, undemocratic, unrepresentative and unwanted by the majority of UK citizens. We have to leave in order to avoid being bled dry by our European neighbours.
For the UK government to frustrate a vote on the issue shows their contempt for democracy and fairness. If ever there was a battle line drawn between the political elite and the common people, this is it. It is an issue that we must insist on and force upon our government.
I've written to my MP expressing my wishes on this matter. Have you?
UPDATE.
As the debate has been moved forward to Monday, I assume hoping to forestall any large public lobbying, emailing your MP is the only way to get in touch with them in time. I recommend the theyworkforyou web site as an easy way to get in touch with your MP and making your views known to them.
Posts
This also ties with your earlier article about the function (or lack of it) of political parties today.
ReplyDeleteKlein Verzet was kind enough to make it his quote of the day -
The situation is not unlike that in former communist East Germany, It was called the German Democratic Republic and you could vote for different parties - Christian Democrat, Liberal Democrat, the Democratic Farmers' Party and so on. But they were all signed up to the programme of the so-called Socialist Unity Party which took its orders from Moscow - just as our leaders do from Brussels.
This was the system under which Angela Merkel had a privileged upbringing. She became a propaganda officer in the Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth), the communist equivalent of the Hitler Youth. They had a song with rather a jolly tune "Die Partei hat immer recht" (The party is always right). The majority of our MPs should start learning it. They could sing it as they march into the lobby.
Absolutely. In politics there is no democracy without difference.
ReplyDeleteEven without a malicious intent, for all the parties to occupy what they call the centre-ground denies people who disagree with that viewpoint a voice in Parliament.
We've strayed a long long way from the original purpose of Parliament: to represent the commoners that vote MPs to Parliament.
As you say, the party is everything and it comes before the people. That in my mind, is the antithesis of true democratic representation.