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David Cameron today made a pledge that “never again” will powers be handed to Europe without a referendum of the British people.
In a keynote speech he offered a series of guaranatees of new laws to “lock in” future votes on major EU laws and pledged to seek the return of national powers and British opt-outs.
He spelled out a sharply eurosceptic agenda for a Tory governemnt after Tory activists and Right wing MPs reacted angrily to him dumping a pledge for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which passed into binding law last night.
The new pledges are:
* A legal obligation similar to that in Ireland will force a referendum to be held before any treaty signing away furtehr powers from Britian to Europe. The 1972 European Communities Act will be amended to make the pledge binding on future governments of any party.
* Another legal lock will force a referendum to be held before any future government is allowed to abandon the Pound and join the euro zone.
* A Sovereignty Bill will be introdcued in the next Parliament, seeking to ensure that British laws take precedence whenever they clash with European laws in future. Conservatives believe this would establish that UK sovereignty cannot be over-ruled and would enable the courts to fend off legal challenges to British traditions or new laws passed by the Commons.
* A Conservative Government will claim a mandate to press for the return of key powers including the restoration of the opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and returning control over employment and social legislation. The negotiating plans will be set out in the Conservative manifesto at the election.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague, Mr Cameron's deputy, will chair a special committee on European policy to push ahead with the agenda and negotiate with all sides.
Party officials said the long-term aim would be to win back powers lost to Europe under Labour.
Reader views (10)
Powers wont be handed over to europe they will be demanded and taken away, confiscated if you will, why don't you read the agreement. Come on flash, admit it you have been outflanked and the tories have lost their main selling point at a stroke.
- Steve, Brentford
More and more the response from every politician or government when it comes to doing something that the people want is "We can't do that cos its a Euro law" its not my fault can't do nothing about it sorry..... So why have UK MPs at all - either we decide what happens in the the UK or not!
- Tony, London
Cameron is right; never again will any of our sovereign powers be handed over to Brussels without a referendum.
However, there are two reasons for this that Cameron has been less than honest about.
1. Once the Lisbon Constitutional Treaty has been enacted, we will have hardly any of our own sovereignty left.
2. The self-amending clause of the Lisbon Constitutional Treaty means that there will be no more EU treaties and no more votes for anyone. Brussels will simply take whatever powers it wants to, without asking.
We have been sold down the river by the most treacherous and deceitful bunch of shyster politicians in this country's history. And that applies to all three mainstream parties, but especially Britain-hating NuLiebour.
Cameron can pass whatever legislation he thinks necessary in order to realise his claim that he is going to repatriate powers from Brussels, but it will simply be declared void by the EUropean Court of Justice, to which legal supremacy has been ceded.
His claims are at best disingenuous and at worst down right lies. He is simply playing to the gullibility of the British Sheeple, and their desire to see the back of McBroon and his stinking government.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Shown himself to be a spineless, utter PR driven, Eton twit. If you're in a hole, of your own making, stop digging. No one will believe a word you say anymore. "My cast iron promise to you...." As Jim Royle would have said "My ****".
- Derek Porter, United Kingdom
What a farce! Cameron well knows that there won't be a 'next time', since the E.U. Constitution (Lisbon Treaty) has an amending formula that means that any future changes can be done behind closed doors and won't need to be publicly debated. The small remaining U.K. sovereignty will just be dribbled away behind closed doors. Say goodbye to the U.K. as a country. It's gone, and self-government within the U.K. with it. Our daily lives are to be dictated by the whims of a small elite on the continent. Cameron is a massive hypocrite. Even Brown looks good beside Cameron! I've been a Conservative my whole life, but that party will never again get my vote.
- Phil Jones, London UK
No not a u turn but an inability to give the British public the referendum promised by the labour vermin Blair and Brown because of the events that have overtaken the future of this sad nation.But come the election we know who will represent the British people and it will not be a labour party that has treated us with contempt.
- Peter, kings lynn,england
Does Cameron not understand English? WE WANT A REFERENDUM and SOON! Or suffer the consequences.
- Vince London, West London
He could have come up with this garbage months ago, rather than going through the pretence of a referendum, just playing politics.
- Neville, London
Are you thick the treaty has been signed?
- Tojo, Hythe, Kent
So a U-turn by any other name.
- Steve S, London
