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Why even euro-sceptics should welcome the EU constitution
July 4, 2003 12:00 AM
By Sarah Ludford MEP in Liberal Democrat News
By Sarah Ludford MEP in Liberal Democrat News
I do not get time to do very much in the House of Lords, but they did let me out of my pram - in every sense of the word - for a debate last week on the implications of withdrawal from the EU.
I enjoyed the joust very much. The mover of the private member's Bill, Tory peer Lord Pearson of Rannoch, describes himself as 'a rabid Eurosceptic' and fully acknowledges he wants to pull out altogether.
At least you know where you are. No mealy-mouthed wriggling and whinging about 'renegotiation' for him, unlike some other Tories. He has a wonderful phrase: the 'Corrupt Octopus of Brussels'. I suggested he should have an eponymous website.
One of the differences between us and Eurosceptics is that Liberal Democrats are in favour of making the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding in the EU constitution. After all, there are enough assaults on human rights; we need all the protection we can get.
With Berlusconi becoming EU President this week as Italy takes over the rotating presidency, it is a sobering thought that because of his concentrated media ownership alone, Italy would not qualify to join the EU now on the basis of the political and democratic criteria.
There was much hand-wringing when a boycott of the racist Haider over his role in Austria's government took place three years ago. But we have to move towards a real 'peer review' mechanism for ensuring respect for constitutional liberties within the EU.
The Charter would mainly act to restrain EU institutions from exceeding their powers. It is amazing that Eurosceptics do not rejoice at this essential development as LibDems do!
It would not impact on governments acting purely domestically which probably means - unfortunately - that the current outrageous attempt by Blair and Campbell to subvert the BBC would not be covered.
But it would to stop the unacceptable 'gold-plating' whereby Whitehall and Westminster embroider EU Directives so they become 3 times as onerous, and then blame Brussels.
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