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La Gisconda and Blair-child, by EU Greco. With a little help from Francesco Raibolini (15th Century)
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So it finally happened, Tony Blair caved in to pressure and announced Britain will, after all have a referendum on the new EU Constitution. Actually it's his second U-Turn on the matter, as you can read here...
"If there are further steps to European integration, the people should have their say at a general election or in a referendum."
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Tony Blair, British Labour Prime Minister. In 1997, when the EU Constitution was just a twinkle in a Europhile dinner party's eye, Tony Blair thought he was immortal and could sell the British pubic anything.
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"I see no case for having a referendum on the new EU Constitution. We don't govern this country by referendum."
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Tony Blair, British Prime Minister. May 2003, when the Constitution was becoming a reality, and it had become obvious that the country wouldn't swallow it. Still using the Royal "we"...
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"It's a combination of a tidying-up exercise ... and reform."
"Those who are starting off on a campaign for a referendum might as well put away their placards and stop wasting their money because we are not going to do it."
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Peter Hain, Labour Minister for Europe and negotiator on the Constitutional Convention, being interviewed by Jeremy Vine on the BBC's Politics Show, 18 May 2003.
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"There will not be a referendum. The reason is that the constitution does not fundamentally change the relationship between the UK and the EU."
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Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, October 2003. Wriggle, wriggle, wiggle, wiggle.
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"Our policy has not changed and if there is any question of it changing, we will tell you."
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Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 17 April 2003. Does Blair actually lie, or does he really believe everything he says at the time he says it? A fascinating question for historians...
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"It is time to resolve once and for all whether this country, Britain, wants to be at the centre and heart of European decision-making or not; time to decide whether our destiny lies as a leading partner and ally of Europe or on its margins."
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Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 19 April 2003. The man with "no reverse gear" performing a full-speed U-turn, without actually using the word REFERENDUM.
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"[If the referendum result is a No,] we will be in exactly the same position as, for example, Ireland after its rejection for the first time round of the Nice treaty, which means if we were in government we would sit down obviously and have to discuss the way forward with other European countries."
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Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 21 April 2003. In other words if the British public says no, we would be asked to keep voting until we got the right answer.
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"I disapprove of a referendum. I do think it is a serious blow to the sovereignty of Parliament. MPs are elected to give line-by-line detailed scrutiny to documents of this kind."
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Ken Clarke, Tory MP and former Chancellor of the Exchequor. Showing why the mass of the Tory party and the country don't trust him any more.
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"[holding a referendum] is appalling and irresponsible. Rupert Murdoch will decide what Britain should think and what Britain should be told."
"I am not sure that I any longer feel I can sit on the same platform with members of a government who seem so indecisive and incapable of maintaining a position."
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Lord (Michael) Heseltine, aka 'Tarzan', charismatic europhile darling of the Conservative left, matricidal mace-wielder. One-time Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister. Quoted in the Independent, 21 April 2004, demonstrating his bottomless lack of faith in the British people. Some would ask why this habitual backstabber was sharing a platform with Tony Blair in the first place. |
"The creation of a single European state bound by one European constitution is 'the decisive task of our time'"
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Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister since 1998. Daily Telegraph 27 November 1998.
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"The constitution, and law adopted by the Union institutions in exercising competences conferred on it by the Constitution, shall have primacy over the law of the Member states [in the following areas:] the competence to coordinate the economic policies of member states … the competence to define and implement a common foreign and security policy, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy [and exclusive competence] for the conclusion of an international agreement."
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Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, French President 1974-1981, President of Commission for drafting the EU Constitution set up in 2002. Draft Constitution of Europe, Spring 2003, rejected November 2003 but no doubt set to return.
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"We have persistently called for a referendum. Once we know the final text of the new constitution we should have the debate and there are no grounds for delaying the referendum."
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Michael Howard, Tory leader from 2003. Daily Telegraph 20 April 2004.
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"The unification of Europe is near"
"The image of a democratic and globally engaged Europe admirably matches citizens' wishes. There have been frequent public calls for a greater EU role in justice and security, action against cross-border crime, control of migration flows and reception of asylum seekers and refugees from far-flung war zones. Citizens also want results in the fields of employment and combating poverty and social exclusion, as well as in the field of economic and social cohesion."
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Laeken Declaration, 15 December 2001, which set up the Constitutional Convention under Valéry Giscard-d'Estaing, to write the first European Constitution. No evidence is given for any of these assertions of what the citizens of Europe want.
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"We must have a referendum - and we must vote 'Yes'"
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Rt Hon Charles Kennedy, Liberal-Democrat-in-chief, bon-viveur and heavy sweater, 9 April 2004. Pronouncing his acceptance of the Constitution before the text is finalised, and while drafts still contain threats considered beyond the "Red Line" even to Tony Blair. |
"Europe has only made progress in the past following dramatic events. If the victims of the dramatic events in Madrid last week help to further European integration, they will not have died in vain."
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Dutch MP Renee van der Linden, addressing the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee in March 2003, the week after 190 people were killed and approximately 1400 injured by the terrorists outrage at Atocha station.
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"[The Constitution is] a gigantic leap forward. Europe can now play its role on the world stage."
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Romano Prodi, EU Commission President. Quoted in the Daily Telegraph, 21 June 2003. A few months later negotiations on the Constitution broke down over whether or not Germany and France will get to boss Poland and Spain around, and the poor poppet had to put his short trousers back on.
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"A true European cannot not want a referendum [on the European Constitution]."
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Jean-Pierre Raffarin, French Prime Minister from 2002. Quoted in 2003.
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"The Convention brought together a self-selected group of the European political elite, many of whom have their eyes on a career at European level, which is dependent on more and more integration. Not once in the 16 months I spent on the Convention did representatives question whether deeper integration is what the people of Europe want, whether it serves their best interests or whether it provides the best basis for a sustainable structure for an expanding Union."
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Gisela Stuart, Labour Member of Parliament, Member of Constitutional Convention and Drafting Presidium. From The Making of Europe's Constitution, Fabian Society Pamphlet, 2003.
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"The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (ECR) will be no more binding than the Beano or the Sun".
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Keith Vaz, Labour Minister for Europe, forced to resign after being dogged by sleaze allegations relating to sale of passports to dodgy Asian businessmen. Biarritz EU Summit, 2000. It has subsequently become clear that the CFR will be incorporated into any eventual European Consitution, unlike the once-popular childen's comic.
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If you have an authenticated quotation on Europe, the EEC or the EU that you think should be listed here, then email me .
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