Wednesday
It is hard to know what to make of this:
Gordon Brown celebrated his return to politics yesterday by firing a shot across the bows both of Brussels and Tony Blair. Perhaps the Chancellor has found the time while on paternity leave to read the 250 pages of the draft European constitution. Mr Brown evidently does not agree with his neighbour in Number 10 that the constitution is a mere "tidying-up exercise". On the contrary, he is obviously alarmed by the text agreed by the constitutional convention, which extends EU competence into areas of economic policy hitherto jealously guarded by the Treasury.
The only thing I am sure of is that it does not mean exactly what it says. My tentative take on it is not that Brown dislikes a regulated economy/society per se, but rather than he insists on being the one doing the regulating. The guy is hardly a free market capitalist after all and neither is he much of a nationalist. Maybe he feels that as Kinnock already has his snout highly placed in the EU's trough, there will not be room enough for another 'big beast' such as himself and thus he is stuck with maintaining his looting rights via obsolescent old Westminster.
Alternatively, could it is just a ploy to demonstrate that there is a 'vibrant Euro-sceptic wing in the Labour Party' and thus forestall natural Labour supporters from feeling they have to vote a revitalised (ha!) Tory Party under Count Drac... Michael Howard, given that Brown is making it clear that "Labour is not entirely in the pocket of Brussels". Are Labour's strategists really that clever though? Not sure.
Cynical? Moi?
My money's on clever strategy. There are some other timing points to consider.
Today the monetary policy committee meets.
Coming soon: the Mansion House speech and the Autumn financial statement.
Posted by Guy Herbert at November 5, 2003 05:06 PM
News the other day that Kinnock could be made leader of the House Of Lords next year. This was in that glorious beacon of the journalist's art (ahem) the Sunday People mind you.
Posted by mark holland at November 5, 2003 05:42 PM
Last week I attended a symposium on the new European Constitution given by a panel of Eurocrat lawyers involved in its drafting. Before the lecture (and out of the presence of the presenters) our Dean encouraged us not to project American constitutional values onto Europe: questions about seperation of powers, individual rights, etc. would be offensive to European culture.
The entire presentation was quite an emetic, but one comment struck me as a sumation of the whole thing. In response to my question about whether the Constitution was likely to be adopted, the presenter said something like: "Too many of the children of Europe have died as a result of political friction between us (snif, snif). Change must come and the only way change can come is through either a revolution of the masses or the will of the elite imposed on the people. We have chosen the latter."
This struck him as a prefectly unobjectionable comment. The arrogance of it all was breathtaking.
Posted by Abby at November 5, 2003 05:53 PM
"Change must come and the only way change can come is through either a revolution of the masses or the will of the elite imposed on the people. We have chosen the latter."
That's nice. Good thing they got rid of the aristocracy, because you wouldn't want somebody lording it over the peasants.
How did you keep a straight face, Abby? That would have pulled either a horse snort or a terrific sneer out of me.
Posted by Alfred E. Neuman at November 5, 2003 06:00 PM
will of the elite imposed on the people := revolution of the masses!
~Bring the con-stitution on!
Politicians heads on spikes will be good for government. The only question is whose head first? So many to choose from.
Posted by Rob Read at November 5, 2003 06:24 PM
So what does Gordon Brown really believe in, I wonder?
Probably very little, other than the advancement and glorification of Gordon Brown.
Posted by R. C. Dean at November 5, 2003 07:52 PM
I got this email from the Eurosceptic "Congress for Democracy" movement today (Phone them to get registered if you want to attend):
-------------Forwarded Message-----------------
From: "Congress for Democracy", congressfordemocracy@ntlworld.com
Date: 05/11/03 12:51
RE: Rally for a Referendum - Friday 7 November 2003
Since we were last in touch we have heard from Iain Duncan Smith the good news that he will be our guest speaker at the Rally for a Referendum on 7 November.
I enclose a revised agenda and look forward to seeing you on Friday.
Margaret Bottomley
Congress for Democracy
58 Keswick Road
Great Bookham
Surrey KT23 4BH
Tel: 01372 453678
Fax: 01372 453741
Website: www.congressfordemocracy.org.uk/rally.htm
_______________
AGENDA
Friday 7 November 2003 – Church House, Dean’s Yard, Westminster
9.00 - 9.30 am REGISTRATION - COFFEE
9.30 am INTRODUCTION
9.45 am MARTIN HOWE QC
Chairman, Congress for Democracy Legal & Constitutional Committee will introduce A CONSTITUTION FOR EUROPE – A Legal Assessment of the Draft Treaty, published today
10.15 am THE RT HON IAIN DUNCAN SMITH MP
will speak on the proposed EU Constitution and the need for a referendum
11.00 am The Campaign for a Referendum
ANNUNZIATA REES-MOGG
Chairman, Trust the People
11.30 am COFFEE
11.45 am The View from France
Chairman: WILLIAM ABITBOL MEP
Head of Référendum-France
PHILIPPE DE VILLIERS
President, Le Mouvement pour la France
NICOLAS DUPONT-AIGNAN
President, Debout la République
12.30 pm Panel of MEPs to lead general discussion:
NIRJ DEVA
DANIEL HANNAN
CHRIS HEATON-HARRIS
ESKO SEPPÄNEN
CHARLES TANNOCK
1.45 – 3.30 pm LUNCH followed by coffee
Posted by Ron at November 6, 2003 12:53 AM
Concerning the "revitalised" Conservative Party: is "undead" more alive than on a life-support machine? :-)
Posted by Antoine Clarke at November 6, 2003 06:36 PM
