A British Referendum on Europe

I've followed with interest the recent ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the ensuing rumpus within the Tory party as hopes of a referendum on the treaty were dashed.

Before the treaty was ratified, while the Czechs still held out, I emailed Mr Cameron to urge him to make it Tory policy to hold a referendum whether the referendum was ratified or not. While I understand that, post-ratification, a referendum on the Treaty is pointless this does not mean that we cannot have a referen

dum at all - which seems to be Cameron's view when he says "I just don't think it's right to concoct some new pretext for a referendum simply to have one for the sake of it."

I said in a previous blog that I think it should be Tory policy to now hold an 'In or Out?' referendum. It's no secret that I'm a Eurosceptic and think that we'd better off out than we are in - but whether we should be in or out is not really the point here. The point is that the British public are being denied a say in such on important issue by the very people whom we elect to serve our interests!

The letter I received in response to my email to Cameron (the response actually came from my own MP, Sir John Butterfill, who I had copied into my email) roused my feelings on this again. Given the large amount of correspondence an MP must receive, and given that he must be seen to be 'singing from the same hymn sheet', I can just about forgive the impersonal and obviously mass-produced feel to Butterfill's reply that simply spouted the party line. In fact, the way it reads leads me to suspect it is probably a standard letter written by the same faceless PR skivvies at Conservative Central Office who write Cameron's speeches. No, what really frustrates me is the adamant refusal to give the populous a say in the matter.

Repeatedly Cameron has made it clear that he believes we should be part of the European Union. Similarly, Butterfill said that "Britain benefits from its membership on the European Union." Nevertheless, he admits that "there are also serious problems with the EU." In his latest 'Cameron Direct', on 6th November in Aberconwy, Cameron went further and stated that the process of handing over powers to the EU had gone to far and that the people felt they had been "lied to - they were told they were joining a common market and then suddenly it becomes a European Union."

Now I have no problem with MPs holding and expressing their own views but the bottom line is that MPs are elected to represent the electorate. Recognising that most voters today had no say in whether we joined in the first place, recognising that the EU has changed beyond recognition since that time, and recognising that there are

so many problems with the EU, tell me why that is a concocted pretext for holding an 'in or out' referendum?

Now, clearly general and by-elections give the politicians a mandate to speak on behalf of the people - and if you don't like what a particular MP has to say, well then vote for another - that's what democracy is all about. That's all well and good, but it only holds true when there is real choice about which MP to vote for. So far as I can see, none of the main parties would consider leaving the EU or giving the people a say in the matter. The only party that would is UKIP - but it is extremely unlikely they'll see a landslide in their favour and end up in Number 10.

Some might argue that the election of pro-European parties shows that the mandate given by the electorate is therefore to stay in Europe. I disagree. For example, if the Conservatives are voted into government come the next general election it will not be because so many people agree with their stance on Europe (though no doubt some of them will). No, it will be because so many people want rid of Labour and support the alternative Conservative policies. It will be a mandate for those things, not for their European policy - that will only receive a mandate by default because there is no realistic alternative. It is that point which the vast majority of mainstream politicians are wilfully ignoring - Cameron included. To quote Mrs Thatcher, "Precious little democracy there."

The Tories are making cynical use of the Labour scape goat whenever anything unpalatable has to be said about the EU and our loss of powers. Certainly Labour told a bare-faced lie at the last general election when they promised us a referendum - but in that case, Mr Cameron, do something about it. Don't point the finger over their failure to give us a referendum when you refuse to do so yourself. If you are so truly convinced that being a part of Europe is in our best interests you must be sure of winning the argument. So, Mr Cameron, make your best case then show some backbone and give us a referendum.

Of course neither Cameron or any other mainstream party will do this and we must ask why not? Cynical I may be, but I think it's because being part of Europe may be in the best interests of career politicians but those same politicians are terrified of giving the people a referendum because they know the answer will be a resounding 'No' to Europe.

Sir John concluded his letter to me by saying that he hoped I was "reassured by the approach we have taken." I assure him that I most certainly am not.

Keep Cadbury British

So, the US company Kraft want to take over Cadbury? I'm no economist and I've certainly not much business acumen, but even to me lowering your offer does indeed seem "derisory".

But, putting purely financial considerations to one side, there are two other arguments for opposing this take over.

First, Cadbury is a family run, British institution and there is something in me that baulks at the thought of it being sold to a foreign company.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the Americans have absolutely no idea how to make chocolate. Cadbury is to my mind about the best chocolate there is. Rowntree, Galaxy, Mars - good as they are, none of them are really as nice. But all of them are far superior to properly American chocolate.

It's my personal and unshakeable belief that Hershey's chocolate (perhaps the US equivalent of Cadbury?) is just revolting. I mean, really awful. And now we could see Cadbury falling into American hands - as The Daily Telegraph's Business section put it today (10/11/09) "the magical world of Kraft, where cheese comes in strings and spray cans".

For the sake of chocolate lovers everywhere, I beg you, please keep Cadbury British!

Labour hypocrisy

After reneging on their manifesto pledge of a referendum, Labour have the hypocrisy of posting this on their website!

Election decisions

I'm an instinctive Conservative voter but come the next general election I'm not sure yet who I'll vote for.

I've never voted Labour and I am unlikely ever to do so. Similarly, I've never voted Lib Dem either and don't propose to start doing so. But neither am I yet certain I'll vote Conservative.

While I support many of their current policies I am more than a little disappointed that we won't get any sort of referendum on Europe. I understand Cameron's promise stood fast so long as the Lisbon Treaty was not ratified, and while I support his intention to claw back sovereign powers from the EU, I'm not sure this goes far enough or will ever be agreed by the other member states whose unanimous support we would need - at least not without the threat of a referendum.

I believe that the Cameron's position should now be a promise of an 'In or Out' referendum on Europe. Failing that, it ought to be policy that we go to Europe and demand sovereign powers back within a set time scale - and if we don't get them, we will then hold an 'In or Out' referendum. But he's unlikely to do that either.

While the precise terms of Cameron's promise of a referendum (which made it unlikely he would ever have to deliver on it) could be seen as a cynical smoke screen to appease us Eurosceptics, Daniel Hannan's statement in the 'Daily Telegraph' on the 6th November that Cameron "did his best to retard Lisbon's ratification until after our general election" has gone some way to assuring me Cameron is not a closet Europhile. Nonetheless I'm not sure his "settled" policy on Europe goes far enough.

I am sorely tempted to vote UKIP, but have reservations about that too - but not ideological reservations as I have with Conservative Party. I don't want Labour to win another term in office, but the Conservative party needs a swing of such fantastic proportions that any votes they lose to minority parties could leave us in hung parliament territory or burdened with another Labour government.

While I have few hopes of UKIP gaining serious in-roads into parliament, I suspect they could well take a larger share of the vote than ever before. Nevertheless, I would only vote for them if I felt certain that in doing so I would not be unintentionally aiding a Labour government - despite feeling so strongly about the need for a referendum.

Between now and the election, I have some serious thinking to do.