Blair vows: I'll block EU power
By MICHAEL LEA
Political Correspondent
February 26, 2007
Fight ... Tony Blair will fight the EU before he leaves office in the summer. PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown will be more anti-EU than Blair ever was.
TONY BLAIR and Gordon Brown have vowed not to let in the hated EU Constitution through the back door.
The Prime Minister and his expected successor plan to stop Euro fanatics resurrecting a bid to give Brussels more power.
They hope French elections in May will give them a new ally in Nicolas Sarkozy — who will help bury the plan.
Next month EU leaders will discuss a new “declaration” to celebrate the union.
But its precise contents are unknown — causing worry among UK politicians who fear a further EU power grab.
And privately EU leaders will also talk about a new constitution at the summit.
Number 10 insists they will not agree to including elements of the old constitution — which was rejected by the French and Danes before Britain could have a referendum.
Euro fanatics want an EU flag and anthem — and the posts of a permanent EU president and foreign minister.
In return, Germany and France would give ground on the Common Agricultural Policy and ease opposition to enlargement.
But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “The constitution is finished and should stay finished.
“Britain’s message should be clear and simple: No to the constitution once and for all.
“There should be no cunning plans to bring bits and pieces of it through the back door.” EU leaders will sign a Declaration on the Future of Europe in Berlin in March.
The document spells out achievements and goals to celebrate 50 years of the EU.
The declaration, thought to contain proposals outlined in the constitution, will pave the way to a new treaty to be put to the June EU summit.
Any new treaty would have to be ratified by Parliament and could give Gordon Brown a headache within weeks of taking over as PM.
There would be a clamour from voters for a referendum and the Tories would seize on the sell-out to Brussels.
Downing Street insisted last night no discussions will be held on a new EU treaty before the French elections.
Neil O’Brien, of eurosceptic think-tank Open Europe, said: “People are worried Blair will sign a new treaty that will be deeply unpopular with voters.”
** TONY Blair is undecided on his future in Parliament after quitting as PM and could stay a backbench MP until 2009, say insiders.
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The Sun Says
Are EU deaf?
February 26, 2007
thesun.co.uk
By MICHAEL LEA
Political Correspondent
February 26, 2007
Fight ... Tony Blair will fight the EU before he leaves office in the summer. PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown will be more anti-EU than Blair ever was.
TONY BLAIR and Gordon Brown have vowed not to let in the hated EU Constitution through the back door.
The Prime Minister and his expected successor plan to stop Euro fanatics resurrecting a bid to give Brussels more power.
They hope French elections in May will give them a new ally in Nicolas Sarkozy — who will help bury the plan.
Next month EU leaders will discuss a new “declaration” to celebrate the union.
But its precise contents are unknown — causing worry among UK politicians who fear a further EU power grab.
And privately EU leaders will also talk about a new constitution at the summit.
Number 10 insists they will not agree to including elements of the old constitution — which was rejected by the French and Danes before Britain could have a referendum.
Euro fanatics want an EU flag and anthem — and the posts of a permanent EU president and foreign minister.
In return, Germany and France would give ground on the Common Agricultural Policy and ease opposition to enlargement.
But Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “The constitution is finished and should stay finished.
“Britain’s message should be clear and simple: No to the constitution once and for all.
“There should be no cunning plans to bring bits and pieces of it through the back door.” EU leaders will sign a Declaration on the Future of Europe in Berlin in March.
The document spells out achievements and goals to celebrate 50 years of the EU.
The declaration, thought to contain proposals outlined in the constitution, will pave the way to a new treaty to be put to the June EU summit.
Any new treaty would have to be ratified by Parliament and could give Gordon Brown a headache within weeks of taking over as PM.
There would be a clamour from voters for a referendum and the Tories would seize on the sell-out to Brussels.
Downing Street insisted last night no discussions will be held on a new EU treaty before the French elections.
Neil O’Brien, of eurosceptic think-tank Open Europe, said: “People are worried Blair will sign a new treaty that will be deeply unpopular with voters.”
** TONY Blair is undecided on his future in Parliament after quitting as PM and could stay a backbench MP until 2009, say insiders.
******************************************************
The Sun Says
Are EU deaf?
February 26, 2007
HOW many times must the EU’s leaders be told?
Their constitution is hated throughout Europe. It was rejected throughout Europe.
Britain would have thrown it out too if we’d had a referendum.
That’s the point of democracy — people vote, their leaders act.
But France and Germany want to ignore the protests of hundreds of millions of people. They aim to stitch up a deal behind closed doors which, they say, will herald a new future for Europe.
It is sure to contain many of the constitution’s basic principles.
Remember what that means: Brussels having sweeping new powers over our economic, defence, immigration, asylum, foreign and social policies. Britain’s veto being scrapped. Disaster for our economy and our sovereignty.
Next month EU leaders will discuss a new mission statement, a Declaration On The Future Of Europe. Its most sinister aspect being that we know so little about it already. If there was nothing to fear, it would have been made public.
The Sun instinctively mistrusts edicts from Brussels. They are almost never in our nation’s interests. This will be no exception.
Tony Blair has pledged to fight tooth and nail to prevent the rejected constitution being sneaked in by the back door.
We will hold him to that — as we will any future Prime Minister.
thesun.co.uk
