Europe Minister Caroline Flint made a big mistake when she admitted in Parliament on Monday that she hadn't read all of the EU Lisbon Treaty. This is the woman who patronisingly told the Irish that they had voted 'no' because they misunderstood the Treaty.
We always suspected she didn't have the foggiest about the EU, especially after telling an audience at Leeds university that it was important to be in favour of European integration if you like pizza.
But this new revelation is something else.
When the Government went back on its promise to hold a referendum on the Treaty last year, it argued over and over that 'politicians know best' on the big issues like EU treaty change.
Caroline Flint's ignorance, and her ability to admit that she hadn't even believed it necessary to read - let alone understand - crucial bits of the Lisbon Treaty , shows that this argument is well and truly defunct. This Government needs to get a grip and give the people the say they were promised on this thing - before it's too late.
We always suspected she didn't have the foggiest about the EU, especially after telling an audience at Leeds university that it was important to be in favour of European integration if you like pizza.
But this new revelation is something else.
When the Government went back on its promise to hold a referendum on the Treaty last year, it argued over and over that 'politicians know best' on the big issues like EU treaty change.
Caroline Flint's ignorance, and her ability to admit that she hadn't even believed it necessary to read - let alone understand - crucial bits of the Lisbon Treaty , shows that this argument is well and truly defunct. This Government needs to get a grip and give the people the say they were promised on this thing - before it's too late.
One can only wonder what she does with her time. How does she expect to deal with questions about the loathesome Lisbon Treaty if she hasn't read it & then developed her own view on it. What incompetence for someone in her position & at her pay-grade!
ReplyDeleteWhat is so galling about this current inept, accident-prone, Labour government is that so many of its ministers are clearly of less intelligence than many of those unfortunate people who this government's dumb policies have put out of work. Just like the insidious & objectionable EU, Labour isn't working. Time to get rid of both of them!
Caroline Flint joins a notorious cluster of arrogant Ministers, past and present, increasingly blatant about their contempt for the "democratic" process or public concern. She takes second prize behind Ken Clarke, who boasted he hadn't even read the Maastricht Treaty before he signed it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it would be very tempting to single out this "devalued" government for blame regarding the foisting of EU Treaties upon us, one cannot help remembering that a series of earlier treaties were inflicted on us by previous Tory administrations. The conclusion is obvious - there is a determination on all sides to impose the EU upon us in all its shapes and forms and come what may.