John Baron MP: The Twelve Days of the European Union – 4

4 – Four Demands in PM’s Renegotiation Letter

As we approach the final furlong to the EU referendum, and with the necessary apologies to the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, John Baron MP is sharing his ‘Twelve Days of the European Union’, setting out why we should vote to leave on 23rd June. Further daily instalments to follow.

In his letter to the President of the European Council last November, as part of the renegotiation process, the Prime Minister set out four areas for reform: Economic Governance, Competitiveness, Sovereignty and Immigration. However, research from the House of Commons Library suggests the limited measures within the resulting renegotiation agreement may not be binding and irreversible. In particular, there is no return of sovereignty within the Prime Minister’s agreement – the ‘red card’ might allow national parliaments to club together and hinder future legislation, but it does not reverse current laws.

John said,

“The sovereignty ‘red card’ secured by the Prime Minister resembles a football referee having to get 15 other officials to agree with him before any action were taken. Our Parliament remains unable, by itself, to stop unwanted EU taxes or laws, and nothing in the renegotiation agreement returns sovereignty back from Brussels. This is unacceptable”

Quote of the Day:

‘The age of pure representative democracy is coming to an end’
(Lord Mandelson, European Trade Commissioner, 2004-8)