Political naivety

Can someone with more political nous than me
explain how that nice Mr. Blair can sign the
new constitution of the evil empire while
promising us a referendum on the constitution?

 

[quick and dirty explanation]

Because he hasn't signed up to it yet.

The document is a basis for agreement which will be translated into the
member languages then go before each member state's parliament to be
ratified.

In our case the Gov't won't ratify it unless it has a mandate to do so.
This mandate will be gained via a referendum.

<aside>
IMO slightly defeating the point of a parliamentary system.

 

<cynic>
Ratified = modified to sound better then it might or might not be?
</cynic>

 

ratify = " to make an agreement official"

it doesn't mean modify.

How it's presented in the run up to the referendum, by both sides, may or
may not bear any relation to the actual content.

<cynic>
"We'll lose our economic self determination and sovereignty"
"What economic self determination and sovereignty?"

 

What evil empire?

 

I guessed Europe, but it is possible we've been slotted in next to Kansas.

I'd better get myself some red shoes I suppose.

 

<>:


On having a referendum on signing the 'European Constitution'

Slightly? Completely I'd say.

We elect Governments to govern and make decisions on our behalf. If
they've a doubt about the direction to take with a once-in-a-generation
decision they should state their proposed position, add this to their
manifesto and call a general election.

Labour were elected on a ticket which included, IIRC, the statement
"Britain at the heart of Europe". On this basis I'd suggest that
they've a mandate to sign up. Doing any less is losing the courage of
their convictions and playing to the electorate.

I'd really like to feel more positive about them because heaven knows
I'm sick to the back teeth with the Tories. Maybe this is a bad thing,
my warming to Labour- a statement about their position on the political
compass; just right of centre I'd guess.

 

I used to have some lovely red patent leather and suede boots, nice
pointy toes. Wonder if they'd have worked?

 

Eiron wrote

As I understand it is because the referendum is not about whether or not
Europe has a constitution, that has already been agreed by Brussels.
The referendum is about whether the one offered is going to be the one
we have. Pleas pay attention.

 

1981. Red jeans and a red shirt IIRC.

 

Y'know, there are times when I really wonder about you.
You *must* have seen the wizard of Oz at some point in
your life.

--
Alex
BMW R1150GS
DIAABTCOD#3 MSWF#4 UKRMFBC#6 Ibw#35 BOB#8
http://www.team-ukrm.co.uk
Windy's "little soldier"

 

# You don't get me I'm part of the union
# Till the day I die, till the day I die.

 

Cane wrote

Right on man. Untogether people are a real drag man, all they do is
bring you down.

 

Sounds perfect for Manchester's Canal Street....

 

Absolute bollocks. You must have seen the Euro MP election
results. No way does Blair have a mandate, as he'll prove if ever
he has the bottle to allow the referendum. At the last election
Labour never mentioned selling our rights to self-government down
the river.

New Labour have no courage or conviction. They are a sham brigade
of empire builders and serial liars. They've been playing the
electorate since day one but the voters are beginning to wake up.

riccip

 

riccip wrote

FFS. Will you stupid fucking kiddies get it through your thick fucking
heads fucking once and for fucking all that the likes of Teflon don't
have to fucking mention selling our fucking rights down the fucking
river. We did that collectively as a fucking nation nearly thirty
fucking years ago when we fucked voted on it and as one people took the
fucking decision to join.

And you lot claim to know what you are talking about....

 

You clearly don't. In the 70's ppl voted to join a Common Market.
An inter-European trading alliance, not a federal Europe. If it
was hidden in the small print then it matters not. It's what we
vote for today that counts, not whatever our naive parents and
grandparents were missold. Over the next 18 months you will see
that the British people aren't going to watch a thousand years of
self-rule vanish forever.

riccip

 

Do you actually believe that we have self-rule? That we are not governed
by capital?

 

I didn't.
I voted to leave the Common Market, as ISTR that we were already in
and the vote was about staying in.

 

riccip says...

Considering that nearly half the British people didn't have the right to
vote until less than a hundred years ago, claiming a thousand years of
self rule is a bit of a misnomer.