Referendum demand still stands
11 October 2007
Jim Allister MEP used a debate in the European Parliament on the upcoming summit on the detail of the new constitutional Reform Treaty to reiterate the demand for a British referendum, particularly now that there is to be no election to test opinion on this and other issues.
The Ulster MEP warned that any British "red lines" would subsequently be wiped out by the "federalising" European Court of Justice.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
"On past performance the 18/19 October Council will be an occasion when British red lines become meaningless pink smudges, soon to be rubbed out by a federalising European Court of Justice.
Opt out, opt in, shake it all about, the British Government will claim victory, others will publicly indulge them, knowing any apparent concessions are without real substance. All this to con the British public into believing the Reform Treaty is actually materially different from the rejected Constitution, when patently it is not.
Now that Gordon Brown has bottled out of an election, the need for a British referendum is greater than ever. No election means Labour's 2005 manifesto promise of a referendum must stand. No referendum means no mandate for Brown to proceed to ratification. That is the bottom line upon which all democrats should unite."
