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European Union (Amendment) Bill

In response to the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, who knows a great deal about this matter, having been very much involved in the early drafting of the treaty, I need to reflect on the concept of a split personality and schizophrenia. The real schizophrenia is between those people who wish to create a federal Europe and the rest of us, who want a Europe that is based on co-operation. Therefore the concern at the heart of my noble friend’s amendments, as my noble friend Lord Campbell indicated, is precisely what this legal personality will be used to achieve and what it will mean in the longer term. It is an important matter and should not be rushed through. I am getting signals from the Leader of the House to speak briefly—and people have spoken rather briefly—but this is of fundamental importance to the future of the Community and to our ability to govern ourselves.