3:59pm Monday 7th January 2008
ONCE again the matter of a referendum for Europe is in the news.
But this time, it really is only a matter of months before it will be too late for discussion: the EU Treaty will have become an accomplished fact.
Unless we get together to ensure the warmed-up but still recognisable piece of paper does not become ratified by our Parliament.
Our Parliament will certainly become impotent if the rest of Europe gets its way.
Gordon Brown is again dodging from here to there in an effort to give the impression he is in charge and is confident in what he is doing, when his actions bely this.
But for reasons best known to himself, he will sign, I am sure, and so I feel it is up to us to prevent things getting further than this.
Our Parliament will not have teeth for much longer.
Despite the promise made in his party's last election manifesto that "we will put the Constitutional Treaty to the British people in a referendum", Gordon Brown clearly has no intention of doing so.
His excuse the treaty is nothing like its predecessor, the EU Constitution, does not hold water.
It is 90 per cent like it, and polls show more than 70 per cent of our people still want the referendum they were promised.
After all, if this new concoction were such a good thing, why would Brown want to keep us from expressing our wishes?
So, let us keep this matter on the boil, and make sure we are not trampled on by those who put their own wellbeing before our freedom.
One thing is certain, if they succeed we shall never again be a land of hope - or glory DAVID ALSTON
Shortlands
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