European Union (Amendment) Bill

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Lee, has eloquently supported military co-operation with France. I agree with every single word he has said on that—but he does not need the Lisbon treaty to do it. This is the trouble. I voted enthusiastically in this House—when I was 32, 33 or something like that—for the accession treaty to the European Common Market, as it was then called. In 1975, I spoke, from about this position in the Chamber, on the Labour Party's proposals for a referendum, which was its very clever way of avoiding an outward split and keeping the second Viscount Stansgate in his place. At the time, I said, quoting Burke—unfortunately, I cannot remember the exact quotation—that this was a constitutional innovation and constitutional innovations can lead people down roads which are confusing and wrong. I think I also said that Napoleon was confirmed in power by referenda. Referenda are easily manipulable—referenda also confirmed Hitler in power. Like the noble and learned Lord, Lord Howe, I am suspicious of referenda, but—this is an enormous ““but””—if someone says, ““I am going to have a referendum””, that someone should do as they say. It is called breaking one’s word if one does not; it is called reneging on what one promised to do; and some could say that honour is lacking. I also speak as a Euro-fanatic. I claim, not totally unreasonably, to know a little about European history. I know about the Treaty of Verdun and Charlemagne’s grandsons; I know that the Crown Prince of Prussia complained that France had invaded Germany 30 times in the previous 200 years after France had declared war on Prussia for such footling reasons to do with the Ems telegram; and I think I know a little about the Reformation and the Renaissance. I say that not to show off, but to show how deeply I am a lover of European civilisation and I see the absolute essentialness of Europe co-operating and continuing on its way. I also say that because I do not want the European Community to fail. It will fail if it tries to do too much. What interest do the Lithuanians have in Surrey landfill sites? That is nothing to do with them. The people of Aberdeen have a greater interest in North Sea fisheries than do the burgesses of Salonika. That is the problem and eventually, as night follows day, the concentration will increase more and more, regulation will increase more and more and it will try to do more and more. To pretend, as several noble Lords have, that this is the last piece of European integration is a flight of fancy. To pretend that this treaty is not an empowerment treaty of the European Union is, I suggest, simply cloud-cuckoo-land. If we want Europe to succeed, we want the people of England, of France, of Germany, of Scotland to be enthusiastic for what it does. I want to be able to walk without let or hindrance on the Continent; I want to be able to walk into a shop; I want to be able to buy anything or sell anything; I want to be able to visit Prague, or Vienna or Paris—we have a flat in Paris. I want Europe to be those things, but it is no business of mine how the French run their tourist industry; that is for the French. Surely we should concentrate on ensuring that Europe's trade is as free as possible, not only internally—as we know there are still some barriers—but also externally so that Europe can trade and get its act together and become rich. That is important. We should leave the French to say when or how or what entrance fee they charge at the Louvre. It is nothing to do with us. Why should tourism be anything to do with the European Community? It is to do with the National Trust when their houses are open. It is to do with the abbaye de Cîteaux when tourists should go. As things are, we cannot get things like the fisheries policy right. There have been two serious Select Committee inquiries into the common fisheries policy in your Lordships’ House. They have been intelligent, well put together and learned. After the debate on the first one, we were told, ““Oh yes, it will all be put right””. Ten years later, along comes the second: ““Oh yes, it will all be put right””. We are still discarding something like two-thirds of the fish caught. They still have not made the net shape square, which would enable the vast majority of discards not to be caught. Things like this are vital for Europe’s future. Unless we get these broad issues right, the whole of the rest of the thing will produce antagonism from the people of Europe. That antagonism could eventually force Parliament—which still has to power the do it—to say, ““We are under such pressure because it is becoming so unpopular that we will pass an Act of Parliament repealing the 1971 accession Act””. Parliament has the power to do that, because it is ultimately sovereign and no Parliament can bind its successor. I do not want it to do that. I want Europe to work. I do not want it to foul up. I do not want it to become constipated. I suggest that this treaty will increase constipation to the disadvantage of us all.