Monday, August 4, 2008

UK and EU Federalism; different names, same end-result

This is so typical of much of the muddled thinking regarding the UK’s constitutional future at the minute:
A wholesale re-drafting of the constitution could see a federal UK preserving a constitutional monarchy, with Westminster responsible only for foreign affairs, defence, revenue, customs, social security, immigration and border controls.

Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and, yes, London would all have devolved parliaments, elected under proportional representation.

This would suit the federalists of Europe.

How deliciously ironic it would be if the only way to fend off a federal Europe is to turn the United Kingdom into a federation.

I’m either too thick to get the subliminal point Graeme Dines is making here, or don’t those last two sentences directly contradict each other and the headline of his article?

A federal United Kingdom, containing as it would four almost autonomous “nations”, two (Scotland and Wales) of which are definitely pro-EU and a third (Northern Ireland) which is more than happy to pocket Euro-cash whilst simultaneously scowling at Brussels, would suit the “federalists of Europe”; it would also have the added bonus of isolating the English, who are generally much more Euro-sceptic than their brothers in the other three parts of the UK.

Cameron’s plan (if indeed that is what it is) would, therefore, do the EU's federalists' work for them and would ultimately destroy the United Kingdom by making it much easier to implement further their "break-up of the nation-state by "regionalisation* plans.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have never understood these bizarre claims that devolution is part of an EU plot.

If so then was Parnell in the pocket of Brussels. (Before anyone says no it was Berlin may I mention Larne, mausers and a lovely tune "We were gun runners" to jog some memories).

Also to the best of my knowledge Brussels is not apparently formenting sepratist movements in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany (despite the strong identity of Bavaria not to mention the Slavic Sorbs of Saxony and Brandenburg), the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Austria, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, ROI and the Baltic States.

Even France dissatisfaction in mainland France is hardly UK level. There is a movement on Corsica but no real problems amongst the Basques, Catalans and of course the Bretons of that nation. The French regional governments only have control over high schools, local transport and enterprise support.

I have never understood this mad paranoid ranting about the EU in this. Where did this claim get its origins from?

It is just a cowardly response to the fact that the UK constitution was before 1997 extemely outdated and rickerty. It still is quite a bit (no PR, Lords etc)

O'Neill said...

I have never understood these bizarre claims that devolution is part of an EU plot.

Who's claiming that? I'm saying that a federal UK would suit the federalists within the EU which is quite different from saying that the EU as a whole instigated devolution. A federal UK would go down alead balloon amongst other elements in the EU; I can't see the Spanish, Greeks, Cypriots, Romanians, Slovak or the Baltic representatives being exactly enthralled with the prospect.

Regarding the EU's "regionalisation" of the member states, you'll remember a post I did on it qa couple of months ago, EU funding is granted on a regional as opposed to a national basis, Bavaria and Catalunya actually have their own offices in Brussels to deal with this- you surely wouldn;t argue that this regionalisation strengthens the various national states?

Despite its many faults I still believe in the concept of the EU, the many adavantages of membership still outweight the disadvantages...but to believe that the break-up of the Uk wouldn't suit many within the Eucracy and the larger member-states is naivety.

Anonymous said...

I was not suggesting yourself O'Neill, but please observe the letters pages of the Telegraph and also some of the commentary below on Cochrane's articles etc.

You will also find similar claims in the Times, the Mail. You know the usual suspects. As well as cybernats, there are also voracious cyber-Little ENG-LAND-ERS.

O'Neill said...

I tend to leave the Telegraph's comment zone well alone, too many retired Disgruntleds of Tunbridge Wells with access to keyboards and too much time on their hands!!