Oct 7th-8th 2009 - Brussels Commentary Plenary Session

7 October 2009

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Brussels Commentary Plenary Session Oct 7th& 8th 2009

The highlight was the debate on the Irish referendum result. The comments by Barroso, the Swedish Prime Minister (Sweden is the new President) and all group leaders were predictable. The only contention between them was the timing of the selection and inauguration of the new Commission, now or after the final ratification of the treaty? Nigel, of course, was very different, drawing attention to the gross bias in Ireland. Not only were the press all on the "Yes" side but the "Yes" spending was in the order of 10 to 20 times more than the "No" side, the government campaigned for a "Yes" and the Irish Broadcasters threw out the previous regulation of even time for each side. He really got their hackles up by pointing out the announcement of significant job losses in big Irish companies who had supported the "Yes" campaign the very day after the referendum result came out. He, and UKIP, were made out as the enemies of democracy and of interfering in Irish affairs.

Never mind that Barroso, Merkel and all had trooped around Ireland telling the Irish how to vote but, apparently, we had told lies. All of which is in our favour. With the Constitution now virtually ratified, the way is now clear. Brown is a dead duck clinging to the pretence that the Lisbon treaty was not the Constitution, the Lib-Dems also ratted on their manifesto pledge to promote a referendum while Cameron does not know what to do. Now, only UKIP stands for the sovereignty of Britain and it is obvious that we must now press for the only referendum which matters, do we stay in the EU, or not?

Derek Clark MEP Brussels Oct 8th 2009