Only a Tory...
Today's News of the World opinion poll showing 55% would vote against an EU constitution, 25% for and 20% against strikes me as a good reason to bet (10-1!) on the referendum being won. Perhaps two years before the referendum, with very little attempt by the 'yes' side to make their case, and before Labour get some well positioned concessions from the EU, a 55% no vote is not enormous. Clearly the pro-camp are still massive underdogs, but it's not over yet. (Also of course being a NoW opinion poll we have to take it a with a pinch of salt -- the question is ok but the others are all pretty loaded so a lot will depend on the ordering)There's also an article by William Hague, which shows why he was (much to my shock) a dismal and stupid leader. Hague of course suffered one of Britain's greatest ever election defeats in a campaign he said was about whether or not we were to keep the pound, so why anyone asks his opinion I do not know. But today's essay confirms his strange other worldliness. There are reasons to oppose further EU integration, and even to oppose this constitution, but that we were conned in our EU membership because 'Thirty years on, for example, we have to spend hundreds of millions extra on our health service because doctors' hours are decided by the European Court' is not one of them. Only a Tory could think that people believe paying doctors not to work 100 hours a week is a bad thing.
Save the pound indeed.
posted by Matthew @ 4/25/2004 09:28:00 AM
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