Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Not for the first time I will mention the Tory hypocrisy over a referendum on the European Reform Treaty. Let's have it all once again.... no referendum on joining the Common Market, no referendum on the signing of the Single European Act, no referendum on Maastricht.
Now... the new wave Tory bloggers may try to brush all that aside and say, "that was all in the past, and anyway, I can't be expected to defend that I was in short trousers at the time"... but Bill Cash remembers. He was one of the Tory MPs who were treated so vilely by the whips (hello, Mr David Davis - do you remember?) for rebelling over Maastricht... and Cash has tabled a motion which calls for a referendum "before or after ratification" by Parliament.
Just a thought on TU political funds - All TU members have a decision on this. I could live with a cap of 50000 ponds per individual member.
Gary Elsby stoke-on-trent said:
October 24, 2007 5:43 PM | permalink
Would you credit it. Tories, they really are two faced aren't they.
Those two Eton toffs on the front bench really are a couple of naughty boys.
Two faced Tories, they've always been the same.
Say one thing, do another.
I take your point about previous treaties, but I don't see what relevance that has to the Conservative Party's arguments.
Cameron is rightly pointing out that (a) Gordon Brown claims to listen to the British public, and (b) there is a manifesto commitment to holding a referendum - and don't give me any rubbish about the Treaty being different from the Constitution. On both counts, Gordon Brown has lied to us and deserves to be held to account for it.
You also appear to be missing the salient point... that Cameron will not promise a referendum in the unlikely event of the Tories winning a general election (errm, does that mean he doesn't want to listen to the British people). When Heath took us in to Europe without a referendum, Wilson at least had the bottle to promise one when Labour came to power. Cameron is a weasel... and of course, he has form over his European promises in his leadership election.
Now that Gordon Brown has signed up to the Treaty/Constitution, a referendum after the Conservatives win the next General Election will have to be a debate over whether we should even be a part of the EU, which is a hell of a commitment and one that he should not rush into.
I'm very Eurosceptic myself, but even I wouldn't commit myself two years ahead of time to that kind of referendum - who knows what the economic and political climate will be in the EU?
Gary Elsby stoke said:
October 25, 2007 1:03 PM | permalink
The current Tory Party is really just a figment of the imagination of the once great Tory Party that ruled an Empire.
Dave leads a protest group of bas***s (as John Major called them) and will always remain on the subs bench until they create a respect within themselves for the British people.
I really don't understand why you don't want me to be a European Union member.
Surely if it was good enough for the Tories, it is good enough for me.
John Major signed us up for the floodgates of immigration and William Hague signed us up to 'saving the pound'. Duh.
October 24, 2007 9:49 AM | permalink
Fair point to the Tory whinge.
Just a thought on TU political funds - All TU members have a decision on this. I could live with a cap of 50000 ponds per individual member.