Gordon's EU Nightmare

We are all conscious in this Parliament, or we  should be, of how the job of First Lord of the   Treasury evolved in Britain, steadily developing  a grip over other cabinet departments previously   independent of it and developing into the post of  Prime Minister. The creation of that job took many   years. The Prime Minister probably feels that  it took almost as long to get round to his turn   to hold it. But to see how the post...to see how  the post of a permanent President of the European   Council could also evolve is not difficult even  for the humblest student of politics. And it is,   of course, rumoured that one Tony Blair may now  be interested in the job. Now if that makes us   uncomfortable on these benches just imagine  how it is viewed in Downing Street. I must   warn ministers opposite that having tangled with  Tony Blair across this despatch box on literally   hundreds of occasions I know his mind almost  as well as they do. I can tell them that when   he goes off to a major political conference of  a centre-right party and simultaneously refers   to himself as a socialist he is on manoeuvres  and here he is busily...he is busily building   coalitions as only he can. And we can all  picture the scene at a European Council   sometime next year. Picture the face of our  poor Prime Minister as the name of Blair is   placed in nomination by one president and Prime  Minister after another. The look of utter gloom   on his face. The nauseating gluttonous praise  oozing from every head of government. The rapid   revelation of a majority view, agreed behind  closed doors when he was - as usual - excluded.   Never would he regret more no longer being  in possession of a veto. The famous... the famous dropped jaw almost hitting the  table as he realizes there is no option but   to join in. And then the awful moment when  the motorcade of the president of Europe   sweeps into Downing Street. The gritted teeth  and bitten nails. The Prime Minister emerging   from his door with a smile of intolerable  anguish. The choking sensation as the words   "Mr. President" are forced from his lips.  And then then, once in the Cabinet Room,   the melodrama of 'when will you  hand over to me?' all over again. There is of course a serious point here Madam  Deputy Speaker. Occupied by someone with the   political skill of our former Prime Minister,  this job would become, in not so many years,   a far more substantial one than the government  now pretend. Seen as the President of Europe by   the rest of the world, with the...with the role of  national government steadily reduced and the role   of national democracy and accountability  steadily weakened. The naivety of ministers,   who think that by signing this treaty they are  agreeing to a static constitutional position,   would be alarming were it not apparent in  people with such senior responsibilities.

Channel: Plolov

Views: 408,381

Keywords: William, Hague, EU, Treaty, European, President, Prime, Minister, Parliament, Debate, Gordon, Brown

Id: l6Cj1b-rp1E

Length: 3min 23sec (203 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 23 2008