Monday, June 14, 2010

What will it take?

There are many subjects I need to blog about but I think I shall turn my attention first to that new organization, Direct Democracy, whose appearance I welcomed with just one cheer. Now I think that I was too generous.

Direct Democracy, run by Dominique Lazanski but set up by those ubiquitous token eurosceptics of the Conservative Party, Daniel Hannan MEP and Douglas Carswell MP, has decided to take on the "European issue", presumably shifting that burden away from the Taxpayers' Alliance. Now neither I nor the Boss at EUReferendum have any problems with people becoming involved with the subject of the EU but we do prefer it if individuals and organizations that go down that route actually find out a few basic facts about the subject. We are always ready to supply those facts but, for some reason, we are never asked by such entities as the Taxpayers' Alliance or, now, Direct Democracy.

Furthermore, while we do not need to quoted all the time, we would like it acknowledged that we (and many others, as I pointed out when I wrote about the Taxpayers' Alliance and the common fisheries policy and also here and here) have been "banging on" about the subject for some time.

Let us have a look at what Direct Democracy has produced. Well, well, a posting entitled Who Will Protect UK Sovereignty? Protect? Protect? What is there to protect? How can you protect something that does not exist any more? After all, the overwhelming majority of all legislation in this country comes from the EU (let's not quibble about exact percentages) and Parliament has no right to set it aside even if it happens to be that small part that is actually debated. One tax (VAT) is not fully controlled by the British government. What other definition of sovereignty does Direct Democracy want apart from legislation and taxation?

It then gets worse. The first paragraph states:
The European Council is set to meet this coming Thursday and Friday. This meeting was meant to be an IGC but it has since been watered down due to a variety of reasons that we do not officially know yet. An IGC meeting would potentially trigger an EU referendum in the UK because by calling the meeting an IGC it would be forced to legally make amendment proposals to the current treaty. And that would cause great chaos at the moment. But this European Council meeting might just cause chaos on its own.
While there are helpful links in the text, there is a clear lack of knowledge or understanding. The European Council always meets around this time of the year as one presidency is coming to an end and another one will be starting on July 1.

There was never the slightest chance of an IGC at this point. There are various rules as to how an Inter-Governmental Conference is assembled and none of them had been activated. Furthermore, it takes many months for an IGC to take place; it is not simply called when a routine European Council is about to meet with a week or so to spare.

Then we get the obligatory references to Dan Hannan and Douglas Carswell and finally the following interesting comment:
Someone recently commented that Direct Democracy was banging on an on about Europe and it was a bit tiresome. If we don't talk about this who will? At least Dan Hannan will, no doubt, continue to write about it. And Douglas Carswell too. But if we all want the UK to grow strong and climb out of the current financial crisis, then groups like Direct Democracy need to make sure that the Coalition Government doesn't u-turn on their promise to keep the UK sovereign. Remember, they promised, "No further transfer of sovereignty over next parliament..." to the European Union.
Goodness me! So if it were not for Direct Democracy, clearly a front organization for the Conservative Party or a couple of Conservative politicians nobody would ever talk about "Europe". Is that so? Well, well, you could have knocked me down with a feather. (I shall not quote what the Boss said when I read the paragraph out to him. This is a family-friendly blog.)

Just one final point: Direct Democracy seems unhappy with the fact that the Coalition government is not living up to the eurosceptic propaganda of the election campaign. Dear me. Remind me who was the politician-cum-journalist-cum-clogger who told us over and over again that if you really wanted results over the European issue you should vote Conservative because Cameron and Hague will deliver? Step forward Daniel Hannan MEP.

18 comments:

  1. Dominique LazanskiJune 14, 2010 at 5:58 PM

    Can you please spell my name correctly - Dominique Lazanski - with an I. My family has never spelled Lazanski with a 'y'. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very sorry, Dominique. A stealth edit will follow. I am always mortified when I get other people's names wrong because so many people get mine wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Helen,

    Good for you. Neophytes should check with EU Referendum(http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/) and/or yourself before they go spouting off. Ill-informed comments from amateur sceptics only give the europhiliacs comfort. Not exactly 'helpful' and 'appropriate' is it?

    BTW here's a word that might come in handy for you as I can see an immediate use for it here: 'twat'.

    In case you don't know (quite possible given your high gentility quotient) do please note that the word is pronounced 'twot' (rhymes with 'what') and not the way most twats pronounce it nowadays.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Until Hannan and Carswell leave Cameron's mob one has to conclude that they prefer Party to Principles.
    To both I can only say "Fine words butter no parsnips", a superb example of 'downstairs' English incidentally.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have problems with the term Direct Democracy. It reminds me Hugo Chavez. But, I support the idea of deciding to leave EU, observing as North said that the UK already lost its sovereignty.

    Hannan is a deception for me, be discussing climate change or EU.

    ReplyDelete
  6. John, in case you hadn't noticed, Helen has already said that,... in Female of course ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. WitteringsfromWitneyJune 14, 2010 at 9:21 PM

    Helen - brilliant! Have linked.

    From a post of mine" Hannan spins for his party":

    "Whilst bearing in mind that Hannan is a Tory and therefore one cannot attach too much to what he writes or says, it does seem that continuing in the vein he adopts at the moment......he, like Douglas Carswell, will be seen as a devalued politician of a devalued party."

    ReplyDelete
  8. WfW, thanks.

    Pedro, the comparison with Chavez is very interesting. It is an unfortunate term and, while some of the ideas are reasonable, others are not. But leaving the EU is a pre-requisite, though it will not happen while this lot is anywhere near government.

    JA, many thanks for that fascinating piece of information.

    Sandy, needless to say, I absolutely agree with you and have been saying it to all and sundry.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sorry, Helen, for writing North. I mean Helen.

    In relation to the term Direct Democracy, I wonder if the tories did not read Edmund Murke. He just showed more than two centuries ago what direct democracy means. But, I understand that UK should leave EU.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think you must mean Burke, Erik. It is so annoying when you see your typos up on the comments page and cannot edit them. Burke thought little of any democracy, especially direct, which, in his experience, turned into the terror. But no, I don't really think Tories read anything much.

    You are right about UK having to leave the EU. Very right, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  11. "Protect? Protect? What is there to protect?"

    And you wonder why mainstream organisations don't ask you...

    There's nothing quite as simplistic as black and white. But it must be fun.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unfortunately, being involved in the EUCCP, is very black and white,
    its similar to being pregnant ,
    you are or you are not,
    you can't just be a little bit.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, Blue Eyes, I wish I were as ill-informed as you - life would be bliss because ignorance is. Please return here only when you've caught up.

    Start here:

    http://tinyurl.com/blue-ize

    ReplyDelete
  14. 'Mainstream organisations'?

    I see you're a man who likes to go with the flow. Moreover, you provide nothing to contradict, let alone argue against, the good Lady Helen's analysis here but offer only supercilious vacuities.

    Lots of clues there. I'll take a guess and it won't be wild.

    You're yet another grey retard who's only wise AFTER events. Probably another ovine tory too. Tut tut.

    You might think you think for yourself. But you don't. I don't know whether you are capable or not of doing so but the omens don't look good for you.

    Yes, you just carry on swimming around in, and sucking up to, your 'mainstream' — the conduit for cretins. You're getting flushed down that drain with all the other useless turds. Got job too. And good phcking riddance.


    Helen, my little sweetie,
    You are very welcome. I have other fascinating pieces if you are interested. You're lucky right now too—Trish is away. I think you know my address. Bring some wine if you change your mind. Otherwise beer is fine.

    ReplyDelete
  15. 'Mainstream organisations'?

    I see you're a man who likes to go with the flow. Moreover, you provide nothing to contradict, let alone argue against, the good Lady Helen's analysis here but offer only supercilious vacuities.

    Lots of clues there. I'll take a guess and it won't be wild.

    You're yet another grey retard who's only wise AFTER events. Probably another ovine tory too. Tut tut.

    You might think you think for yourself. But you don't. I don't know whether you are capable or not of doing so but the omens don't look good for you.

    Yes, you just carry on swimming around in, and sucking up to, your 'mainstream' — the conduit for cretins. You're getting flushed down that drain with all the other useless turds. Got job too. And good phcking riddance.


    Helen, my little sweetie,
    You are very welcome. I have other fascinating pieces if you are interested. You're lucky right now too—Trish is away. I think you know my address. Bring some wine if you change your mind. Otherwise beer is fine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. 'Mainstream organisations'?

    I see you're a man who likes to go with the flow. Moreover, you provide nothing to contradict, let alone argue against, the good Lady Helen's analysis here but offer only supercilious vacuities.

    Lots of clues there. I'll take a guess and it won't be wild.

    You're yet another grey retard who's only wise AFTER events. Probably another ovine tory too. Tut tut.

    You might think you think for yourself. But you don't. I don't know whether you are capable or not of doing so but the omens don't look good for you.

    Yes, you just carry on swimming around in, and sucking up to, your 'mainstream' — the conduit for cretins. You're getting flushed down that drain with all the other useless turds. Got job too. And good phcking riddance.


    Helen, my little sweetie,
    You are very welcome. I have other fascinating pieces if you are interested. You're lucky right now too—Trish is away. I think you know my address. Bring some wine if you change your mind. Otherwise beer is fine.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I "pressed the button" once and my keyboard is bounce free => duff blog software. Probably written in india.

    ReplyDelete