Matt T

Had to (rather late) recommend this Tim Garton-Ash article in the Guardian. As usual (always?) he gets it right, except that he probably doesn't take the argument to its logical conclusion. I've been very depressed over the last few days that people, ok bloggers, who you hoped would show more intelligence have been running around condemning the new European consitution as 'dangerous' or 'bad news' as if a) much of what they fear had not been in every constitution since Rome , b) Britain had nothing to do with its drafting and c) as if it's not still to be finalised. It's a typical -- and desperately sad -- British reaction to say 'not good', and hide for weeks hoping it will go away.

Anyway, so depressed that I am (add in the criminality in No. 10 and the White House and one feels really bad) that I did two things. First I went to France to look at Rubens in Lille. Unfortunately I misread the date on the advert and arrived a year too early. Second I decided that we do need a referendum. Not on the new constitution, but on our membership of the EU. It should be a simple question 'The European Union is a project to bring about ever-closer union between European countries. Should Britain be a part of it?'. If no, then we should withdraw. If yes, then we should hear a little less from the Daily Mail.

Incidentally, although I am in sympathy with D-Squared, and his plan to vote Conservative because Tony Blair lied to him, I still can't quite make the leap. After all according to the Conservatives, the last election was a vote on whether to save the pound, and it was lost comprehensively, so therefore I presume they believe the pound is lost. So even on their only clear issue they are all at sea. On that subject I must recommend re-reading the William Hague Paxman interview before the last election, in which I remember Hague just ending it for the last few minutes spouting 'Save the Pound, Jeremy, Save the Pound'. I actually like and admire William Hague, and on the few times I have met him (he did the same subject at the same college as me) have found him great company but I could never vote Conservative while that legacy of non-thinking anti-Europeanism still exists.

ps a good argument against a referendum is that we had one, in 1975 (?) and the result was a decisive vote of support for the EU, and ever greater union etc. But that was nearly 30 years ago, so even the youngest voter in that referendum is now approaching their 50s.

pps Another reason one cannot vote Tory is that although it's true that Tony Blair would jump into a lake if George Bush asked him to, one gets the impression that Iain Duncan Smith if asked would first drain the lake and then jump in head first just to prove how far he was willing to go.

posted by Matthew @ 5/31/2003 07:53:00 AM Comments: 0