Posted on 06/13/2008 8:50:06 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Gordon Brown is under intense pressure to declare the Lisbon Treaty dead after Irish voters delivered an overwhelming vote against the European Union's drive toward greater integration.
In the only popular vote on the treaty to be held in the EU, 53.4 per cent of the Irish electorate rejected its terms – plunging the EU's plans to create a new European president and foreign minister into turmoil.
MPs and campaigners from across the political spectrum called on the Prime Minister to halt moves towards British ratification of the text in the wake of the vote, with David Cameron saying the treaty should now be "declared dead".
The agreement, which would sweep away dozens of national vetoes, must be ratified by all 27 European Union members before it can take force next year.
Opponents said the emphatic Irish result meant the project – described as an attempt to revive the defunct EU constitution – should be completely abandoned.
Mr Brown however, is preparing to defy British public opinion by pushing ahead with the treaty's ratification in parliament. Government legislation ratifying the text is due to get its third and final reading in the House of Lords on Wednesday.
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, said: "It is right that we follow the view that each country must follow the ratification process to its conclusion. It is right that we continue with our own process."
Mr Cameron described the Government's plans as the "height of arrogance" and accused the Government of "flying in the face of public opinion."
He said that Mr Brown should go to the commons on Monday to explain what would happen now.
"If this is not dead, we must be able to have the referendum in this country so that we have the chance to pass judgment on this treaty and put the final nail in its coffin," he said.
Ministers privately concede that abandoning the ratification, Britain would seal the fate of the treaty.
Mr Brown is said to believe that doing so would reduce Britain's influence and split the EU, with countries like France and Germany press ahead with their own integration plans.
However, his determination to push ahead with the treaty puts him at odds with British voters, with opinion polls showing that most reject the document.
A Daily Telegraph campaign seeking a UK referendum on the text last year gathered well over 100,000 signatories.
William Hague, the Conservative shadow foreign secretary, insisted that the British parliamentary ratification process must be stopped immediately.
"The Irish people have spoken and they have made clear that they do not want a Treaty that takes so many powers from the countries of Europe and gives it to distant institutions in Brussels," he said.
"Despite all the threats that have been made they have had the courage to make their own decision. They deserve Europe's admiration and congratulations.
The call was echoed by Labour MPs. Frank Field, a leading Labour opponent of the treaty, said the British process should stop at once.
He said: "The result speaks volumes. The people in the one country given a chance to vote have clearly rejected the Treaty. The Government must now withdraw its Bill ratifying the Treaty which should now be dead'.
Ian Davidson, another Labour opponent of the document said: "It is enormously significant that the only people who have had the chance to vote on the treaty have rejected it by a substantial margin. Now is the time for a period of reflection."
However, European leaders were making plans to find a legal way around the Irish 'No' vote.
Nicholas Sarkozy, the French President, was working with EU leaders and diplomats to plan a special "legal arrangement" to bypass the referendum rejection.
In a joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French leader insisted the treaty was "necessary" for the EU and would go ahead.
Mr Sarkozy assumes the rotating presidency of the EU next month, and at a summit in Brussels next week he and Mr Brown will insist that the ratification process continues unchanged.
British sources said that the summit is likely to conclude that the Irish vote is a problem for the Irish government, not the rest of the EU.
"The Irish government will have to go away and think about how to proceed, but the rest of us will keep going," said a Foreign Office source.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, insisted that treaty would not be stopped.
"The treaty is alive," Mr Barroso said in Brussels. "The remaining ratifications should continue to take their course."
Every major political party in Ireland had backed a Yes vote, with opposition being led by Libertas, a small, privately-funded campaign group.
Declan Ganley, head of Libertas, said the vote should kill the Lisbon Treaty.
"The No result is the final answer on this particular Treaty That's democracy. That's how it works," he said.
Even the pro-European Liberal Democrats said the Irish result should halt Britain's move to approve the treaty.
Edward Davey, the party's foreign affairs spokesman said: "Once scrutiny of the treaty is completed in Westminster next week its ratification should be suspended."
Bill Cash, the veteran Tory eurosceptic, said: "Gordon Brown must now abandon the British moves to ratify the Treaty and renegotiate the treaties of the European Union. The Conservative party must seize the opportunity to decimate the government's European police and restore democracy to the UK."
Officials in London, Dublin and Brussels were at a loss to explain how Ireland's approval for the Lisbon Treaty can be secured following the result.
In 2001, the Irish rejected the EU's Nice Treaty, but were ultimately pressured into endorsing it in a second referendum after some sections of that text were re-written to address concerns about Ireland's military neutrality.
Privately, some diplomats fear that it will be impossible to address the Irish grievances against Lisbon, which are much wider than the objections raised to the Nice Treaty.
One senior British official said: "With the Nice vote, you could identify specific problems the Irish had with the text, answer them and then move on. But this is less focused, more a general rejection of the whole project, and accommodating it within the process could be very, very difficult."
Brian Cowan, the Irish Prime Minister, appeared to rule out a second Irish referendum to ratify the treaty, insisting that the issue of another vote "didn't arise".
He said: "The result does bring about considerable uncertainty and a difficult situation. There is no quick fix."
My goodness, instead of Statesmen/Educators, the Euros are populated with Fascists who have -0- interest in trusting their own populations.
This is unbelievable to me, why are the people of Europe being treated as if they are adolescents with no voice in their fate?
I must say, after observing the Euro process for a number of years, I thank the Lord that at least America is not Europe.
Good for the Irish. Why would they want to trade a British boot for an EU boot?
the man in the street worldwide has seen enough of globalism. The elites in Ivory towers had better take heed. This goes for both the left and right in this party, because there are globalists on both sides.
that should be, in this country.
Didn't we in the U.S. used to have something that kept the state powers with the states and gave the central "federal" governing body very specific and limited powers?
Officials in London, Dublin and Brussels were at a loss to explain how Ireland’s approval for the Lisbon Treaty can be secured following the result.
Browns’ loyalty is to the EU and freedom busting socialism. I do not think he can bring himself to do it....as, the EU will try again. After all, he can move to Paris quite easily if his govt. falls. The EU has hinted great displeasure and potential action against Irish interests for voting, NO!!, and, the Irish are to be congratulated for a vote for freedom. It is not over until it is over, and the Irish have slowed thinigs down significantly. Hurray for the Irish.
Eireann go Brach! Gordon Brown and company can go stuff themselves with it.
Among other things, that is correct. Xenophobia (hatred of strangers or foreigners) is illegal under the EUrotopia Treaty/Constitution.
Also, any member state could issue a warrant on any person, for any reason, that would require any nation to hold and extradite same to offended country. No hearing, no trial.
One may recall Bill Clintoon signed Kyoto. Though it wasn't ratified by the senate, The Toon promised to make the U.S.A. abide by it as far as his presidential authority permitted.
EUrotopian ratifiers of this Treaty/Constitution, though they say it is void unless unanimous, need only decide to enforce it themselves.
That being the case, any FReeping Xenophobes who have anything in cyberspace, beware of EUrotopian travel.
yitbos
Kill this piece of crap
All these Euro-socialists are useless with their global warming paranoia. We have same socialists here
My program is to drill for oil under every polar bear sighted in Alaska. And if the polar bear acts up fill it full of lead
Yesterday, while the votes from the Irish referendum were being tallied the Germans I work with were lamenting the loss of their team in Euro 2008 and happy about the Supreme Courts ruling on G’mo.
I mentioned the Lisbon treaty and all the transfer of powers to unelected officials in Brussels but they did not seem to care. It is very surreal, people here want a say in how America is run, but, don't give a hoot about how they are governed. Go figure.
Not to hijack this thread, but it looks like Italy may crash out soon!! Watching some of the smaller players they are in Euro 2008 with “heart” and the scores are showing this.
Now I must wait a bit longer for Tour de France which is my favorite European sports event.
It is a great day when the weak beats the powerful.
MMmmmmm....democracy...? I haven't heard that word for quite a while.....we Brits pledge allegiance to Gordon Brown our Supreme Commander in the Age of Change :^)
The Irish rejected something else from the EU a few yrs. back, and the Irish leaders held a second vote which passed.
I hope that the Irish people don’t back down this time.
BTTT
I think the Irish have shown the world that they alone, in Europe, have more since than to dissolve their sovereignty, and give their national control to the Brussels bunch.
Tri-lateralsim = Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
One world government will not work, and the Irish have just realized what is going on.
Your work has just begun because they will now try to shove it down your throat. Like it not.
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