The Daily Express speaks for itself, loud and clear:
Not quite yet. A few hundred MPs had a vote... the people have not yet taken to the streets on the matter - not yet.
The Sun - which once famously ran the front page comment of 'Up Yours, Delors' - today finds room for the headline: "It's up Eurs".
"Now the Government faces a legal battle with Europe and a constitutional crisis," they say.
Associate Editor Trevor Kavanagh says of the vote: "In what amounts to a declaration of war, the Commons triggered a spectacular showdown with Strasbourg and plunged the UK into what may become a full-scale constitutional crisis."
In their editorial comment, the newspaper adds: "Westminster has sent a clear signal to Europe's unelected dictators. "
The Daily Mail runs with the headline: "Day we stood up to Europe."
In their editorial comment, they say: "Britain's Parliament, for too long supine in the face of the erosion of its powers and prerogatives by European institutions, has finally struck back," adding that "Britain has taken a small but significant step towards regaining control of her destiny."
And the Daily Telegraph says: "[MPs] represent the sovereign body in the land, and they have made their view clear. It may present ministers with a conundrum, but their task is to enact the will of Parliament – not to find some new way to appease the over-mighty, unaccountable and self-aggrandising judges of Strasbourg."
There seems to be some confusion, the European Court and the EU are not the same thing at all. And the amendment such as it was, was not binding, merely a slap in the face. It all boils down to what the government will actually do and I think Ken Clark let the cat out of the bag yesterday when he said the government will abide by its obligations to the European institutions. In other words, votes for prisoners here we come :-(
ReplyDeleteHi Quiet_Man
ReplyDeleteI'd certainly made the distinction in the preceeding post.
That said, I don't think the distinction is important enough for the man-on-the-street.
Which ever foreign power wants to dictate our laws, the result is the same when it comes to the role of the people and our Parliament.
It will be fascinating to see how this pans out... but one suspects that it will be how the Bilderberg attendee has already decreed.
I meant confusion in the MSM and amongst the general public, I did not wish to imply that my comment included you, my apologies if that was the impression given :-)
ReplyDeleteNo, no, Quiet Man - nothing at all to apologise for.
ReplyDeleteI was simply responding to say - perhaps not so eloquently - that to most people, a non-specific 'Europe' or 'EU' is sufficent as an all-embracing description; a synonym for the malaise and dwindling importance of our Parliament which some of the newspapers have, in the main, been happy to go along with.
Anyway, time for my second coffee and smoke of the day! :)