British govt shelves EU treaty vote

[padraig]

Jack Straw has made an announcement:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0606/EU.html

[edifice.]

You beat me to it Padraig. The Tories want Labour to announce the death of the EU Constitution. Its a terrifying thought being in complete agreement with the Tories.

[redrover]

the thing was always dead a s a doornail in the UK. it makes it more likely that the UK presidency may be more productive than expected if they arent continuing with a faux ratification process.
does anyone else think that TB could make some headway in getting the EU back to basics and getting involved in reconnecting to the people? it could give him his exit and his legacy if he leads from the front.
The decision just means that now we dont get any opportunity to have our voice heard, one more point for EU democracy.
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Red Rover...blog

[BarryW]

This has zero to do with New Labour's concern for the EU, and is 100% to do with Blair's crusade to have a place in history.

Blair had envisaged that all other countries would get a "Yes" vote. Then, if he secured a "Yes" from the UK it would be seen as a huge triumph domestically and abroad.
However, if the UK voted NO Blair would resign honourably, go down as a pro-EU martyr abroad, and be in line for the Presidency of the EU when that post was eventually set up.

All this has been stopped though, and Blair is now rumoured to be planning to stay for a full third term to sort out the EU.

The only question is: when will that dope Brown have the balls stand up and say "Non!" himself?!

[Eddie Collins]

Blair knows that he would never have got a yes vote from UK voters on the ever increasing EU inteference in their lives.


The ROI having bummed arond 140 billion euros in 30 years from the EU so it will be relatively easy to convince the ROI electorate of the merits of the EU.