Speaking after numerous speeches from avid pro-European MEPs in the Constitutional Affairs Committee in Brussels, DUP MEP Jim Allister injected some controversy by making a robust attack upon the new Constitution.

Jim Allister said, “Sorry, Mr President, to spoil the party, but I am fundamentally opposed to this Constitution. While I accept mine is a minority view in this Committee and Parliament, I am confident that it is the majority view from the country from which I come, the United Kingdom.

The basic reason why the majority in the UK will oppose the constitution is that they have a belief in and attachment to something despised in this Parliament, namely national sovereignty.  And they properly see in this Constitution a charter to progressively denude national parliaments of real powers, so that Westminster, in our case, would become a mere consultee in respect of a vast range of legislation affecting the daily lives of British citizens.

Moreover, the constitution offends national authority by bestowing the apparatus of statehood on the EU, through the creation of a European President, a European Foreign Minister and a European Army.  Europe should be a cooperative of nation states, not itself an aspiring state”.

Turning to the Committee's proposal that European taxpayers' money should be spent on promoting a 'Yes' vote, the DUP MEP said this was offensive and wrong. He challenged the Committee to show objectivity and balance by accepting his proposal that if any money is spent it should be shared equally between the Yes and No campaigns in each national referendum.