MP calls for referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which is set to permit open-ended powers to drain away to the EU.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday Hemel Hempstead MP, Mike Penning, told MPs that the British public will never trust the government if it gives more and more open-ended powers to the European Union.

Mike is particularly concerned about the collapse of the three so-called ‘pillars’. The EU is in essence an umbrella term for three distinct areas of activity – or pillars. These are the European Communities, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters. Within each pillar the balance of control by national government and the EU has been distinct. Mike is concerned that with the removal of these pillars these different balances will disappear giving the EU more control over issues that are currently under UK government control.

Mike said:

“The British public will not trust Parliament or the Government over the pillars. They will understand from the debates that have been allowed here, and from what has been said in the press, that the breakdown of the pillars means more and more open-ended powers for the European Union…”

He added:

” It is hugely dangerous to tamper with pillars that prevent civil servants, and those in the system within Europe, from developing the sort of Europe that they want but the people of the country almost certainly do not.”

He went on to condemn the Government for failing to allow MPs the line-by-line scrutiny of the treaty that they were promised. Due to lack of time given to debate the treaty – which runs to 328 pages - a large number of important subjects have not been debated by MPs at all.

Mike told MPs:

”It is fundamentally wrong that the Government are forcing it through without our being able to debate it in full, and without fulfilling the promise of all three major parliamentary parties that there would be a referendum on the constitution—which is what this document is.”

Speaking afterwards, Mike said:

“It is wrong for any government to give away these powers without consulting the people. I am particularly concerned about the threat to our national veto – every national veto outside of defence could be abolished without the need for any further treaty.”