William Hague, Denis MacShane and other senior politicians face off and answer your questions in this debate on Britain's future in the EU. By rejecting a referendum, is the Government riding roughshod over ancient democratic principles? Would a 'no' vote leave Britain's membership of the EU dead in the water? Robert Macpherson has brought some of the leading campaigners to the table to answer your questions.....
Click on the "ask" buttons below to put your question to the participants and build the debate.
In an endless stream of campaigns aimed at tackling political apathy in the UK, you’d be forgiven for forgetting a gem - courtesy of the Electoral Commission - on the eve of the 2004 European Parliament elections.
“I don’t do politics”, a pint-clutching cartoon points out to his informed friend. His is the voice of a nation disillusioned by politics, convinced it has no impact on their daily lives.
He is soon corrected, reminded that everything, from the frequency of roadworks to the price of an egg to even the time of last orders, are affected by the decision of those chosen to represent the country in Brussels.
Four years later, little has changed.
News commentators may be making a great deal of noise about the latest EU Reform Treaty, signed by all heads of EU Member States in December last year, but there remains silence amongst the public.
Many fail to realise the importance of Europe’s potential new rulebook and the ominous effect its approval by the Government may have.
Democracy is being held hostage in this country. At least, that is the view of some campaigners and leading politicians who claim the Labour Government have gone back on their promise of a public referendum on whether Britain should agree to a renewed Constitution.
The official line is that prior to the previous General Election, Tony Blair promised a referendum on a EU Constitution that, at the time, was created to replace all previous treaties with one clear document. The proposal died a quick death and from its ashes emerged a less radical Reform Treaty that is wreaking havoc in Westminster as we speak.
The complaint is simple. The new treaty, it is argued, is little more than the previous rejected Constitution repackaged and Gordon Brown’s party are using this sheep’s clothing to justify ignoring the public’s opinion before ratifying the document.
The treaty has already been given a green light by the House of Commons, despite a spirited effort by the Conservative Party to halt proceedings, narrowly losing a vote to force a referendum.
Rebel Labour MP’s undermined Gordon Brown position by voting for a referendum whilst the Liberal Democrats are in utter chaos with, three MP’s quitting the front bench in defiance of Nick Clegg’s order to abstain.
The issue now rests with the House of Lords, the final barrier to a British approval of the treaty. If their decision matches the Commons’ ‘Aye’, and no other EU states resist, the Reform Treaty will come into effect from January 1 2009.
Has the damage already been done? Is Labour’s refusal to allow a referendum a direct threat to the democratic process in Britain? Does it expose the Government’s lack of faith in the public’s ability to choose what set of rules they wish to live by? How will the treaty, if approved, directly affect everyday life for you and me, and is the whole thing little more than a storm in a teacup?
These are the questions, and more, that Yoosk members are being encouraged to put to the following key figures who have agreed to give their opinions on the issue.
William Hague, Conservative MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary:
His front bench role puts him in direct opposition to Labour’s David Miliband, who is championing the Reform Treaty. Mr. Hague is a clear exponent of his party’s pro-referendum line saying in a BBC interview: “If there had been a general election last October and we had won then we’d of course be giving the public the referendum that was promised.”
John Redwood, Conservative MP, Shadow Environment, Transport & Regions Secretary:
A staunch euro-sceptic who has held several posts in the Conservative Party and has written a number of books putting forward the arguments against Britain having a notable role in the European Union.
Gisela Stuart, Labour MP, Foreign Affairs Committee Member:
If anyone would know about similarities between the old EU Constitution and the new treaty it would be Gisela Stuart, one of thirteen MP’s from across Europe who drafted the original document.
She said: “If you lay the new text side by side with the old version that was rejected in 2005 you can see that 96% of it is a word-for-word carbon copy.”
She has also labelled the Government’s decision to refuse a referendum “a deeply dishonest process.”
Denis MacShane, Labour MP, Former Minister of State for Europe:
In his own words, ‘an unashamed enthusiast for Europe’, Denis MacShane once held a prominent Euro-role in Tony Blair’s Government.
He has written many pro-European pieces in the media highlighting the advantages that previous EU treaties have afforded British citizens, including the introduction of a minimum wage and less restrictions on continental flights, which often go forgotten.
Neil O’Brien, Chairman of IWantAReferendum.com campaign:
Neil O’Brien’s campaign is a clear defence of the democratic process in this country. He has organised ‘fake’ referendums in constituencies across the country to assess the public’s opinion with resounding ‘no’ votes against the treaty in each case.