Politics.co.uk

Straw goes on the offensive over EU Constitution ‘myths’

Straw goes on the offensive over EU Constitution ‘myths’

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has launched a series of ‘factsheets’ designed to push the case for Britain’s acceptance of the EU Constitution.

On January 26 the Government published the wording of the referendum question on whether the UK should adopt the proposed new constitution. It reads: “Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?”

Tony Blair last year conceded that the British public should have the opportunity to vote on the question, along with other major countries such as France and Spain.

Given the already packed legislative agenda this year, a vote is unlikely before the next general election, with the most likely date in the summer of 2006.

However, in a sign of the heavy campaigning that is likely to accompany the referendum, the Foreign Secretary has published his first ‘factsheet’ to tackle “common myth[s] or misconceptions” about the constitution. One is to be released each day this week.

Mr Straw said that the Government would be making the “patriotic case for a strong British role in the European Union. And we will make clear to the British public how the constitution gives us our kind of Europe, based firmly on the power and legitimacy of the nations of Europe.

“We will firmly be taking on the mythology of the Eurosceptics which distort so much of the European Union. So we are posting a myth a day on the FCO website this week.

He firmly rejected the “one great myth that the European Union weakens our power and influence”, saying that the truth is “by playing a strong role in the EU we strengthen our British sovereignty.

“Sovereignty in isolation is a delusion. A castaway on a desert island is sovereign but powerless, without the assistance of others beyond.”

The first ‘myth’ to be tackled is that Britain would lose control of its foreign policy under the new treaty.

The factsheet stresses that common foreign policy is not a new idea, having been introduced into the Maastricht Treaty a decade ago. And, it points out that Britain will still have a veto on foreign policy so that there is only a common policy when all agree. The Foreign Office also says that the EU foreign minister will work for member states’ foreign ministers and the UK will retain its permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Michael Ancram, Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: “These so-called factsheets are yet another example of how Labour are wasting hard-working taxpayers’ money to promote this constitution. If they were simply putting the best gloss on Government policy, that would be one thing, but Labour ministers are again forcing the civil service to pump out propaganda that is less than the truth.”

And, UKIP’s Mark Croucher responded to the factsheet’s publication by challenging the Government’s impartiality, saying it was out of touch with the mood of the nation.

He told politics.co.uk: “The biggest “myth” is that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is impartial in this. This is simply Government propaganda.

“They are entitled to their position, but millions of people in Britain have woken up to the fact that these are not myths.”

Mr Croucher added, wryly: “We have still got the European Union’s information campaign to look forward to.”