Labour MEPs Vote to Revive European Constitution
Thursday 7 June 2007
On the day that the Labour leadership said that they would fight to retain control over criminal law, labour relations and foreign policy in the European Council on June the 21-22*, Labour MEPs have voted in favour of the complete opposite by supporting a European Parliament report which demands the endorsement in full of the original constitution, a document which abandons sovereignty on these three key areas.
17 Labour MEPs voted in favour of the Brok report which committed the European Parliament to "reaffirm its commitment to achieving a settlement of the ongoing constitutional process of the European Union which is based on the content of the Constitutional Treaty, possibly under a different presentation"**. The last sentence demonstrates that Labour is ready to spin the loss of British sovereignty without the endorsement of the British people.
Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said:
"Labour MEPs have let the cat out of the bag. They have voted today to resurrect the discredited European Constitution just at the time when their own Government claims it will not support such a move at the forthcoming European Summit.
"After months of abstaining in such votes, Labour MEP performed a massive U-turn today as they gave their backing to the most federalist document imaginable.
"Why the U-turn? Who is giving them their orders? Is it Blair or is it Brown?
"The British people are against this Constitution. We have been told that Mr Blair is too. Does Blair back his MEPs or are they freelancing?"
ENDS
* Financial Times (7/6/07) "UK will fight to retain sovereignty in three areas"
