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Proceeding contribution from Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (Labour) in the House of Commons on Monday, 25 June 2007. It occurred during Ministerial statement on European Council.

European Council

I wonder whether the Prime Minister can help me, as I am having trouble understanding something. Back in April 2004, the reasons for granting a referendum and making a manifesto commitment were not about constitutional change but because we should let the people have a say. The Prime Minister’s Foreign Secretary and Minister for Europe now argue that one of the main reasons why we should not have a referendum is that we are a parliamentary democracy—yet the document to which the Prime Minister signed up at the weekend grants the people of Europe a right that neither national Parliaments nor Governments have, which is to petition the Commission for legislative proposals. I find it difficult to reconcile, on the one hand, giving the people of Europe a right that we do not give our Parliament, yet on the other hand, not asking our own people.

Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
462 c34 
Session
2006-07
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Asylum Competition Immigration European Union EU internal trade EU common foreign and security policy EU action EU reform National security Social security Treaties European Council EU external relations Qualified majority voting Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU) EU presidency
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk