If the EU integration process is left unchecked, parliament will indeed become nothing more than a political chamber of the European Parliament.
The refusal to engage with his own backbenchers contradicts those of us who campaigned in the last parliament for a referendum in this – believing time was needed for a meaningful discussion and renegotiation and then for the subsequent debate.
Instead, No 10 ignores contributions – what could it be afraid of? Such an approach epitomises the EU’s democratic deficit, but we had not expected it of our own government.
As it is, the Prime Minister’s existing demands simply tinker at the edges. They acknowledge parliamentary sovereignty is a lost cause. This is No 10’s Achilles heel, for it underestimates the strength of feeling on this issue.
Many of us – including ministers and their parliamentary aides who understandably could not sign the letter – want to co-operate with our neighbours but not remain on the escalator heading for ever closer political union. Of course the “in” campaign’s jobs-scare argument must be de-bunked.
Our massive trade deficit ensures it is in the EU’s interest for trade to continue – as the foreign affairs committee’s recent visit to Brussels confirmed.
Meanwhile, a global collapse in tariffs since the 1970s, coupled with the emergence of the World Trade Organisation, mean both the UK and EU are bound by the WTO’s “most favoured nation” tariffs – America’s average tariff being under 3 per cent.
Many “smaller” countries outside the EU trade easily with it. Does No 10 really believe we cannot do likewise?
So let’s ignore those who predict Armageddon should we leave. We remember the clarion calls of many big business leaders and former prime ministers who confidently predicted Britain would suffer both from not joining the euro and then because of the referendum. How wrong they have been.
Instead, we need to be more global in our outlook and realise our potential. The EU remains stuck in the global economic slow lane with much higher unemployment rates.
We, therefore, return to the central issue of sovereignty. The most revealing paragraphs of the Prime Minister’s letter to the European Council describe his desire to ensure national parliaments can club together to stop unwanted EU legislation.
This would be a minor evolution of the existing “yellow card” system, which has proved ineffective in the past.
If our parliament, acting alone if necessary, cannot stop unwanted EU directives, taxes or regulations then everything else is peripheral.
Rather than tinkering with obscure rules over benefit eligibility – which ignores the fact the vast majority of immigrants come here to work hard – the Government needs to regain proper control of our borders.
Likewise, we need to stop the deadweight EU red tape which engulfs all British companies despite only 5 per cent trading with the EU.
The central choice in this renegotiation is whether we wish to remain on the escalator towards ever closer union.
The PM’s refusal to engage clearly shows he has made his mind up whatever the result. That may cost him when it comes to the referendum.
:: John Baron is Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay
Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/579309/s/4d147fb4/sc/13/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cnewstopics0Ceureferendum0C121178260CEU0ERenegotiation0Eis0ENo0E10As0EAchilles0Eheel0Esays0EJohn0EBaron0Bhtml/story01.htm