Lies, damn lies, and British politicians and a man called Dave.
An illuminating snapshot from ten years ago.
Do you ever get a feeling of déjà vu?
Almost ten years ago, on 04 June 2009, the British people voted in the EU Parliament elections.
In a few weeks’ time, the British people will be asked to vote in the EU Parliament elections again.
Here is the house of cards it’s all built upon
Ten years ago, the Lisbon Treaty was new. This treaty, which made the EU a legal entity, had been passed but wasn’t due to come into force for another seven months. It was being talked about, though, as you will see below.
The Lisbon Treaty
Like the Maastricht Treaty, the Lisbon Treaty was highly controversial
Like the Maastricht Treaty, it involved a massive loss of UK sovereignty
Like the Maastricht Treaty, the British people were given no say
Gordon Brown got his Foreign Secretary to sign, then countersigned it quietly the next day
The UK signatures on the Lisbon Treaty. Gordon Brown countersigned quietly the next day in the space to the left, that David Milliband had left for him.
Ten years ago, what did David Cameron say about the Lisbon Treaty?
In 2009, David Cameron was the leader of the Conservative Party. He would not become Prime Minister for another year when he formed a coalition government with Nick Clegg’s LibDems in 2010.
Two days before the EU Parliament elections ten years ago, here is what David Cameron had to say about the Lisbon Treaty which now governs so much of our lives.
Excerpts from David Cameron’s broadcast
“The Lisbon Treaty includes a massive transfer of powers from the nation states of Europe to Brussels”
“It ends our veto, our right to say no, in about 60 areas”
“It sets up a permanent President of the EU, a Foreign Minister, a Diplomatic Service”
“It gives the EU the right to sign Treaties, and the right to sign new Treaties, and to pass new Treaties, new Constitutions, without asking us again, the people of Europe”
Fast forward seven years
Seven years later, after he had been forced to offer a referendum on EU membership to the British people, ‘Call me Dave’ was silent on his previous comments about the Lisbon Treaty, as he tried to railroad a Remain vote past the electorate.
The Lisbon Treaty hasn’t changed. It remains just as appalling as David Cameron said it was ten years ago.
Sadly, it was David Cameron and the majority of the Parliamentary Conservative Party that changed.
Ten years on, with Mrs. May still trying to ram her surrender treaty through Parliament, it’s a case of ‘plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose’ (the more things change, the more they stay the same.
[ Source: Conservative Party video 2009 \ Portuguese government Lisbon Treaty ceremony video ]
