Allister jousts with Dublin Foreign Minister
06 October 2008
Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister today jousted with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin, when he spoke to the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels on the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.
In a spirited exchange the Ulster Euro MP told the Minister that,
"Despite the courtesy of bare pleasantries extended to you by the Committee, you are astute enough to realise you have been brought here today, before the most Euro-fanatical cabal you could muster in this Parliament, to add to the pressure on you and your country to pervert and reverse the democratic verdict of your people.
Your Constitution - which I've had occasion to read from time to time - makes much of the sovereignty of the people. So, have you no sense of shame in being pro-active in trying to circumvent their decision and subject your own people to the humiliation of being told, "go and vote again, until you give us the answer we want".
That stance might tickle the ears of this Committee, but would you not serve the independence, dignity and rights of your people better by telling Vice-President Wallstrom, President Barroso, President Sarkozy and others of the bullying fraternity, that your country has spoken and their verdict deserves the same respect as that of a big country. You know the Republic of Ireland would not be subjected to this indignity if it was a major player like Germany or France.
So why don't you stand up for yourself and your people and demand the parity of esteem which is denied to you by the condescending demand of the EU elite that you meekly fall into line? Tell them, the Lisbon Treaty set its own test for survival - acceptance by every state. Yours has democratically said "NO", so the Treaty is dead, gone, over. Tell them that, instead of pandering to the subversion of the people's choice."
Mr Allister went on to pointedly say that the Republic loved to talk of "self-determination", so, he challenged the Minister, "Why don't you walk that walk and tell those bullying you, "my people have made their determination on this matter and I stand with them, not against them!"
