UK SOVEREIGNTY SURRENDERS
THE HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY IN BRITAIN
Prior to joining the European Union, Britain's history was one of 700 years of steadily INCREASING democracy :
MAGNA CARTA
King John established the right of the wealthy barons to consult with and advise the king. Barons were also protected from illegal imprisonment, granted access to swift justice and limitations were placed on feudal payments to the Crown.
THE FIRST SITTING OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
The absolute power of the monarchy is ended and England becomes a constitutional monarchy - the monarch is no longer able to govern without the consent of the people. The Bill set out the rights of King, Parliament and people.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT
THE FIRST REFORM ACT ("THE GREAT REFORM ACT")
The right to vote was extended to small landowners, tenant farmers, shopkeepers and householders paying rent of more than £10 per annum.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT
"THE SECOND REFORM ACT"
The right to vote was extended to some urban working class men.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT
"THE THIRD REFORM ACT"
The voting rights granted to towns were extended to the countryside - all men paying land rent of more than £10 per annum or holding land valued at more than £10 now had the right to vote.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT
"THE FOURTH REFORM ACT"
- All men over the age of 21 were finally granted the right to vote - whether they owned property or not.
- All women over the age of 21 were granted the right to vote at local elections.
- Women over the age of 30 were allowed to vote at general elections if they or their husbands owned land or premises with a rateable value of more than £5.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (EQUAL FRANCHISE) ACT
"THE FIFTH REFORM ACT"
All women over the age of 21 were finally granted the same rights to vote as men - whether they owned property or not.
However, after joining the European Union in 1973, more and more of parliament's lawmaking powers were transferred to EU institutions :
THE TREATY OF ACCESSION
The UK — under Ted Heath — joined the European Economic Community (as the EU was then known) and began the process of transferring control (sovereignty) over its affairs to EU institutions - initially mainly in the areas of trade and customs tariffs, agriculture, and the coal, steel and atomic energy industries.
THE SINGLE EUROPEAN ACT
Together with 11 other member states, the UK — under Margaret Thatcher — signed the Single European Act and agreed to the completion of the single market (the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital) and policy co-operation was extended to include the environment, health and safety, and research and technology.
THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION (MAASTRICHT)
Together with 11 other member states, the UK — under John Major — signed the Maastricht Treaty. This committed the UK to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) with other member states (but with an opt-out on joining the single currency), extended policy co-operation to include justice and home affairs and foreign and defence policy, and established a common EU citizenship. EU legislative powers were also extended or confirmed in education and vocational training, trans-European transport networks, industry, health, culture, development aid and consumer protection. The European Community was renamed the European Union and making a single country of Europe's separate nations became a formal commitment.
Article 1 of the Maastricht Treaty states :
"This Treaty marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe ...".
"Its (the EU's) task shall be to organise ......... relations between the Member States and between their peoples".
Joschka Fischer, Foreign Minister of Germany, January 1999
"Transforming the European Union into a single state with one army, one constitution and one foreign policy is the crucial challenge of the age".
THE TREATY OF AMSTERDAM
Together with 14 other member states, the UK — under Tony Blair — signed the Amsterdam Treaty. This committed the UK to the Social Chapter on employment rights, and areas of co-operation were extended to include judicial co-operation in civil matters, immigration, visa and asylum policy, border controls and human rights. Increased co-operation was also agreed for public health issues, the environment, sustainable development and consumer protection.
THE TREATY OF NICE
The institutions of the EU were reformed to accommodate new members from Eastern Europe and in 12 member states Euro notes and coins became legal tender — replacing national currencies. The 12 economies of the Eurozone now formed a single European economy largely run by EU institutions.
The President of the European Central Bank is clear about the Euro's ultimate purpose :
"The process of monetary union goes hand in hand — must go hand in hand — with political integration and ultimately political union".
"EMU (The Euro) is, and always was meant to be, a stepping stone on the way to a United Europe".
Wim Duisenberg, ECB President — Sunday Telegraph 16/11/97
THE LISBON TREATY
Although the significance of this was played down by the EU lobby, it contains several significant changes to previous treaties, including :
— a move to qualified majority voting in many areas of policy
— giving the EU legal personality, empowering it to sign international agreements on behalf of member states
— the creation of a long-term President of the European Council (a fledgling EU President)
— the creation of a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (a fledgling EU Foreign Secretary)
— the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights became legally binding
— granted member states the explicit legal right to leave the EU and the procedure to follow
— the treaty also clarified the competences of the EU and of member states and what areas of policymaking are shared.
THE BALANCE OF EU/UK LAW AND POLICY-MAKING POWERS
In 2014, the (pro-EU) Conservative-LibDem coalition government published full details of the balance between UK and EU law-making powers across 32 different areas of governance. Even though the 32 reports were commissioned by a pro-EU government and compiled by civil servants paid to implement EU legislation (so hardly neutral), the reports publicly established beyond any shadow of doubt that the transfer of sovereignty from our Westminster parliament to the institutions of the EU significantly impacts almost every significant area of UK policymaking.
Little wonder a final report promised by the government, summarising the 32 individual reports, was never produced. Predictably, the 32 individual reports that were published — supposedly produced to inform the public debate — have subsequently been given almost no publicity by either the political or media ruling cliques.
The government web page containing links to all 32 reports can be found here :
www.gov.uk/guidance/review-of-the-balance-of-competences
The above reports can also be downloaded directly from this website via the following links :
The treaties and policies of the European Union can also be checked on :
IN AREAS PASSED TO EU CONTROL, OUR OWN GOVERNMENT WAS POWERLESS TO ALTER UK LAW AND POLICY WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF OTHER MEMBER STATES.
Even areas where the UK retained significant control — such as our own currency, defence, education, health, policing and social security benefits — many policies were still either partly directly controlled by the EU, or heavily influenced by EU law or informally coordinated with it. And in many cases, any independence that remained could be irrevocably transferred to EU control by any future UK government (inclined to do so) at the stroke of a pen.
THEREFORE, EVEN WITHOUT JOINING THE EURO, AND WITH SEVERAL SEMI-SIGNIFICANT OPT-OUTS, IN PRACTISE, IT WAS A SIMPLE FACT THAT THE EU EFFECTIVELY MADE, CONTROLLED OR HAD SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE OVER MORE THAN 70% OF UK LAWS.
THE REPORTS THEREFORE ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT — ON THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY — PRETTY WELL EVERYTHING THE SO-CALLED 'EUROSCEPTICS' HAD BEEN SAYING FOR 40 YEARS WAS TRUE. AND THAT, APPALLINGLY, PRETTY WELL EVERYTHING THE EU-LOBBY HAD BEEN SAYING FOR 40 YEARS WAS FALSE.
IN 1973, UPON JOINING THE EU, BRITAIN EFFECTIVELY CEASED TO BE A REAL DEMOCRACY.
BY 2009, AFTER DECADES OF SOVEREIGNTY TRANSFERS, UK GOVERNMENTS WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO CHANGE MOST LAWS AND POLICIES IN BRITAIN.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU HAD MADE OUR HARD-WON RIGHT TO VOTE INCREASINGLY MEANINGLESS.