The parliament introduced a legislation for the British referendum of the EU constitution on Tuesday, with foreign secretary, Jack Straw, insisting for its adoption.
Initiating the EU constitution bill in the House of Commons, Straw said, “We are publishing the EU Constitution Bill today as an indication of our confidence in the constitution and our determination to get this through a referendum.”
Adding that the bill was valuable for both UK and Europe, Straw said that a referendum would take place if there was a treaty. He said, “On the issue of will the referendum go ahead in the event of a French 'no', this is hypothetical. But we have made it clear repeatedly that as long as there is a treaty, there will be a referendum.”
It was not obligatory on the part of the government, however, to comply with the outcome of the referendum even though it would be politically tough to snub the opinion of the populace since this was the first national referendum by the electorate after 1975.
Meanwhile, Brussels reiterated that no alternative plan existed in the event of French or Dutch votes denying the EU proposal and it was possible that Tony Blair took up the baton thereafter, as he would be assuming the EU rotating presidency in July. Straw explained, “On the issue of will the referendum go ahead in the event of a French 'no', this is hypothetical. But we have made it clear repeatedly that as long as there is a treaty, there will be a referendum.
Restating his belief in the Bill and its positive effects on Europe and the United Kingdom, Straw said, “I firmly believe that this treaty is good for the UK and good for Europe. It creates a framework for a European Union of nation states, which is more efficient, more effective and more democratic. I look forward to debating the facts of this treaty in the house, dispelling the many myths around it and setting out for the British public the clear case for voting yes.”
Liam Fox, the shadow foreign secretary, had asked for a referendum on October 13, in a letter to Straw, which read, “The British people have the right to express their views on the constitution; the government has no right to make its own interpretation and representation of what those views would be. By making known their views, voters will confer on the government far greater authority in its negotiations in Brussels.”
While the Lib Dem deputy leader and foreign affairs spokesperson, Sir Menzies Campbell, believed that the referendum was totally unnecessary in case France and the Netherlands dismissed the treaty, the Tories appeared unanimously against the EU constitution. Conversely, the Liberal Democrat MPs showed common consent for the bill whereas a few Labour MPs disapproved of it.
Posted
on : Thu, 26 May 2005 14:00 GMT | General News
By : Salim Patel
|
