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| Has Conservative policy towards ECJ power over crime and policing changed? |
Firstly, here are some of the measures 'adopted' last night without debate and without much publicity.
- Confiscation Orders
- Mutual recognition of sentences
- Trials in absentia
- Mutual recognition of financial penalties
Will a future Conservative Government renegotiate this area?
Removing the UK justice system from the remit of EU judges has been a Conservative policy for a number of years and one we agree with. When it became clear that the Conservatives could not block the Lisbon Treaty David Cameron stated:
“The third area where we will negotiate for a return of powers is criminal justice. We must be sure that the measures included in the Lisbon Treaty will not bring creeping control over our criminal justice system by EU judges. We will want to prevent EU judges gaining steadily greater control over our criminal justice system by negotiating an arrangement which would protect it" [4 November 2009]This was followed up in the 2010 Conservative Manifesto:
“Conservative government will negotiate for three specific guarantees – on the Charter of fundamental rights, on criminal justice, and on social and employment legislation – with our European partners to return powers that we believe should reside with the UK, not the EU. We seek a mandate to negotiate the return of these powers from the EU to the UK.”Clearly, the Coalition Agreement overtook these previous texts, but Theresa May and Chris Grayling have both stated during this Parliament that the ECJ's role would likely feature in any future EU renegotiation. On 16 July 2013, as we set out here, Theresa May was quite explicit:
"Undoubtedly the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will need to be considered when, after the election, a future Conservative Government renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the European Union"So it was a surprise that Theresa May writing in the Sunday Telegraph on 9 November did not restate this position. The question is whether we should read anything into this, but as the smoke clears it remains to be seen whether a majority Conservative Government would 'let matters rest'.
The 'Conservative Party' and 'Commitment' are two words that do not readily fit into a sentence. Indeed, Politics in general has little commitment except to expediency and career paths. Who could imagine the Dim Limps voting for example to end Habeas Corpus, and 36 hours max detention without charge, by embracing the EAW?
ReplyDeleteAs @Rollo said, any new Conservative Government would do whatever is expedient to:
ReplyDeletea) keep it in power;
b) give Dave and his crew as easy a life as possible;
c) progress Dave's Europhile approach whilst making as many Eurosceptic noises as possible to try and fool as many voters as possible. Up to the full 'snake oil salesman' standards of Tony B. Liar but with less class.
What a disgraceful shambles. I find it hard to believe that a once proud party with principles has come to this sorry state.
It all boils down to the maxim I apply to all politicians:- take no notice much of what they say but watch very carefully what they do; and don't do.
How truly it is time to end this Government's abuse of power and elect a Party which is solely dedicated to the interests of the British people.
ReplyDeleteBy definition this can only be UKIP.
The others are Controlled by the EU and the British people, false Polls aside, want no part of this criminal organisation any more.