Bollocks from the FCO

Yesterday I highlighted an article on the EU Constitution or what is now disingenuously called a "Treaty".

During my search on the web I turned up the "Official" Supporters club for the Treaty at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, this was not difficult to find as it is currently an advertised (paid for by us) link on Google.

Now today we find out via the Coffee House blog in the Spectator that the Independent has peddled out some of the Labour spin on the site as original work. The article examines some supposed myths about the "Treaty". Unfortunately most of these myths have now been discovered to be truths.

This is not the worst of the FCO site taking the following on the front page.

Why is the Reform Treaty in the news now?

The mandate for the EU Reform Treaty was agreed by the prime ministers or presidents of all EU countries in the European Council in June.

The final text of the Treaty - which is currently being written - will have to be approved by all EU countries, following their own constitutional procedures, before it can come into effect.

In the UK, all Treaties, including EU Treaties, are submitted to Parliament, which has the right to examine and debate them in detail.

There is currently a lot of speculation in the media about what the Reform Treaty will mean for the UK. Some people believe that the UK should not agree to the Reform Treaty until it has been put to a public vote in this country (a referendum).

Many people who are opposed to the Reform Treaty are also opposed in principle to the UK's membership of the EU; others want a referendum because they believe that the Reform Treaty would transfer too much power from the UK to the EU.

These are serious issues that demand public attention. However, the fact is that many things that have been said and written about the Reform Treaty are simply not factually accurate.

It then links to the EU Treaty myths, the subject of the Independent Front page.

Lets look at the implications here

1) That it is only Eurosceptics who don't want the treaty, it lumps the many People who are opposed in the group of people who don't want Britain in the EU at all. This is simply incorrect. Whilst it will be true that virtually all people who oppose the EU will oppose the treaty, there are many more who support the EU but oppose the Treaty (myself included).

2) That some people believe that the UK should not agree to the Reform. No mention that only 29% would vote for the treaty against 47% who would vote against it.

3) That some people think there should be a referendum, no it's not "some" people it is 66% of people who want Labour to keep their promise of a referendum.

4) Of course it doesn't mention any of the major reasons that it might just be in the news, such as the frailty of the red lines, the manifesto promises that are being broken, the Parliamentary committee who reported that the Treaty was the constitution in all but name, etc, etc.

This is just one example of the crap that the FCO is trying to peddle to the country as the truth on this website. It is a disgrace to the Government and to this country.

EU Reform Treaty Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Austin Mitchell's WeBLOG :: Conference: Beta-Gamma

Austin Mitchell's WeBLOG, as he calls it, is normally good fun and tends to poke New Labour in the eye, this morning's entry is especially fun as it pokes fun at the Conference. Despite this Austin thinks the speech by Gordon was very good. A quick extract from today give a flavour of what you can expect.

The unions supinely gave up their power. They didn’t trouble the leader with votes. Conference was castrated. No bookshop. No ideas. Everything passed to the Policy Forum. Which is useless. Ruthless management of the old Stalinist style without the Blair charm.
Irrelevant The election was an elephant in the room. No minister talked about it. Everyone wanted it. Whatever Gordon decrees they’ll agree with . He’s deeply cautious. But with a strong streak of political cunning. So the song should be “Things can only get worse”. “I let my golden chances pass me by” will be the grumbling refrain if he fluffs this.

Another extract for your amusement.

When is a Constitution not a constitution? When it`s a European Constitution. Then it`s Speak no Constitution. See no Constitution. Hear no Constitution. Even though it`s more like a Constitution than, say, elephant droppings.

David Millipede says it`s elephant droppings. No need to vote on them. Just sniff.

Balls. Elephant Balls. Other governments are saying this is the essence of the Giscard Constitution. The Commission has got all it wanted. Read the proposals and see that the “Reform Treaty” is 90% of the Monster Treaty. They`re trying to fool us. Again. We promised a referendum. Let`s have it. Otherwise we`re locked in the Euro-Jail.

Of course I should like him as he represents Great Grimsby where I was born many years ago, fortunately I escaped very shortly afterwards to a better and greater place.

Austin Mitchell's WeBLOG :: Conference: Beta-Gamma

Free Speech - Egyptian blogger jailed for four years

So much for free speech!

Egyptian blogger jailed for four years The Register