Chris Patten, one of the board members of the Britain in Europe campaign,
argued on the Today Programme that "the job for the UK in the presidency will be
to pick out the bits of the Constitution which don't require treaty change which
would help us to run this extraordinary enterprise... I think we've got to pick
out the bits that would enable us to run it better." (1 June)
He also said, "I think it would be absolutely barmy to give the impression that
we were trying to smuggle the treaty in by the back door if it's got a big
thumbs down from voters. We've made considerable progress in the last few years;
not all those institutional changes require treaty change. To say there is
nothing that can be done now because of the vote in France is completely
preposterous."
Lord Brittan, another BiE board member, previously said on Newsnight that if
there was a no vote EU leaders should "cherry pick" parts of the Constitution
and go ahead with them - without a referendum. He said that the EU President in
particular, should still go ahead. (24 May)
Britain in Europe appears to be split over the issue. BiE Campaign Director Lucy
Powell has repeatedly said that there is no prospect of back door ratification.
But two powerful members of her board appear to disagree. Douglas Alexander, the
new Europe Minister, has also refused to rule out allowing parts of the
Constitution to be introduced by stealth. (Today programme, 2 June)
Javier Solana, the EU Commission's high representative has signalled that the EU
will continue to press ahead with the diplomatic service that is proposed in the
Constitution, regardless of the referendum results. He told the German newspaper
Handelsblatt, "neither the constitutional text nor the ideas contained in it are
dead. There's no doubt that sooner or later the EU will have a foreign minister
and a diplomatic service. What is of crucial importance now is that we keep on
working as we did before and that we do not get into a psychological paralysis."
(31 May) The EU has already started implementing several other aspects of the
Constitution, including the European Defence Agency, the President of the
Eurogroup, and the European Police College.
Some of the no campaign's new business supporters responded to suggestions that
parts of the Constitution be "cherry picked" by sending a letter to the FT
demanding that no parts should "be ratified by the back door. Indeed the
government should commit itself to hold a referendum in the UK before
implementing any substantial part of the Constitution." The signatories
included, Stuart Rose, Marks and Spencer's Chief Executive, Karl Ludvigsen the
Former Vice-President of Ford Europe and Sir Crispin Davis the Chief Executive
of Reed Elsevier. (3 June)
While pro-euro campaigners talk about implementing only a few innocuous bits of
the Constitution, the reality is that any "Constitution lite" is likely to
include some of the most significant parts of the Constitution, like the EU
President, EU Foreign Minister and changes to voting weights (which would cut
the UK's power to block legislation by 30 percent). Pressing ahead with a few
parts of the Constitution would gradually lead to implementing much of the rest
of the proposals it contains. It is extraordinary that the yes camp is already
talking about pressing ahead, so quickly after the French and Dutch votes.
Falling support for EU Constitution in Denmark and Luxembourg
A series of polls in Denmark have revealed a massive turnaround in opinion on
the EU Constitution, with the no campaign now in the lead.
A poll by Megafon shows that 42 percent of the Danes are against the EU
Constitution, compared with 36 percent in favour. Only one week ago, the Danes
were in favour by a majority of 49-31 percent.
Another poll by Gallup shows that 38 percent of the Danes are against the EU
Constitution, and only 34 percent are in favour. 45 percent are undecided. The
poll marks an increase in opposition to the Constitution of 13 percent in less
than a month.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is currently waiting for the outcome
of the European Council in mid-June to decide whether or not to cancel the
country's referendum, planned for 27 September.
Opposition to the Constitution is also on the rise in Luxembourg, though the yes
campaign remains in the lead. On 31 May the FT reported that according to the
Ilres polling group, the yes camp's lead had narrowed from 59 per cent in April
to 46 percent in May, while support for the no vote grew from 23 per cent to 32
per cent.
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who currently holds the Presidency of the EU
has confirmed that he will resign if his country votes no in their referendum on
10 July (AFP, 3 June)
EU leaders express regret at ever holding Constitution referendums
In the wake of the French and Dutch no votes in their referendums on the EU
Constitution some politicians have expressed regret that the countries decided
to hold referendums.
The Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot said that it had been a mistake to let
the people decide on the Constitution. He said, "We were opposed to it. We
always said that this subject matter was far too complex to be made the subject
of a referendum." (1 June, Sun)
Jean-Luc Dehaene, the former Belgian Prime Minister and a member of the
convention which drew up the Constitution argued on the Today Programme that the
Constitution should have been decided "through parliamentary discussion like it
is in some of the European member states where you have a much more serene
debate." (31 May)
Britain in Europe to close?
Britain in Europe (BiE), the group which was set to transform itself into the
yes campaign in the UK's referendum on the EU Constitution, has announced that
it might close in the near future.
Lucy Powell, BiE's campaign director, has said that "If there is to be no
referendum in Britain then supporters of the treaty will not have their chance
to put the case for Britain's engagement with Europe. Without a campaign to
fight, Britain in Europe would have to review its future." (Times, 31 May)
The group which has struggled to find new support, due to overwhelming business
opposition to the Constitution, is said to be in financial difficulties. BiE's
board is reported to be split on whether the group should continue to exist. One
board member was quoted in the FT saying that "The raison d'être is not there
any longer" for the group to continue to exist. The group, which relies heavily
on donations from the Labour peer Lord Sainsbury, is finding it difficult to
attract any new donations. There has even been talk of the group starting to
apply for Government grants in order for it compete effectively with the no
campaign. (FT, 1 June)
One of BiE's regional campaign directors has contradicted the head office's
policy line this week. Councillor Katrina Bull said that "The treaty is as
French as it's going to get". This is in direct contradiction to assertions by
Lucy Powell that the Constitution is a triumph for Britain over France.
Bull also contradicted the Government and BiE's attempts to pronounce the
Constitution "dead". She said, "the constitutional treaty doesn't stop here.
It's going to be difficult though - it's the French that started the whole
process." (Nottingham Post, 31 May)
While Britain in Europe prepares to close, the no campaign is stepping up its
activities. The campaign will continue to fight against attempts to introduce
any parts of the Constitution through the back door without holding a referendum
in the first.
Links: EU Referendum
Page started 7 Jun 2005