Guest Blog – Steve Baker MP, the EU constitution, the Lisbon Treaty and the need for a referendum
Posted: April 18th, 2011 | Author: The Peoples Pledge Team | Filed under: News, The People's Pledge Blog | Tags: Lisbon Treaty, The Great Deception | 12 Comments »
I have a confession: until the European Constitution came along, I supported European integration.
I’ve worked around much of the northern hemisphere and spent plenty of time in western, southern and northern Europe. I consider myself an internationalist. But I am a liberal internationalist, in the old sense of the word “liberal”, which is, of course, why I am a Conservative: I believe that the state is occasionally useful, but not strictly necessary, to human flourishing. To attempt to coordinate society by decree is an intellectual error: no coercive body can obtain the necessary information.
But I digress.
I’m all for free trade and peace, for unhampered social cooperation. I’m not much interested in arbitrary political boundaries drawn across the world by those who would rule by force. Why should any of us tolerate barriers to trade and friendship with others in the world?
And so I felt the European Economic Community was a reasonable idea. I had not understood that there have always been two visions for Europe as for every society: one based on freedom and responsibility and one based on state control.
I detested the European Constitution. It was palpably statist and bound to produce an unaccountable bureaucracy. It was everything Hayek warned us about in The Road to Serfdom and against which Popper railed in The Open Society and its Enemies: a little elite was to steer our lives by widespread intervention � for our own good you understand � largely free of democratic control. The idea stretches back at least to Plato and it has fathered humanity’s most lamentable episodes.
I was relieved when that awful Constitution was democratically rejected.
And then along came the Lisbon Treaty. Functionally the same as the EU Constitution but an amending treaty, I knew it was no more than an act of arrogant political sophistry. I wanted to see it rejected democratically and I looked forward to a British referendum�
I need not rehearse the rest of that sorry tale. Democracy was shamelessly trampled. That was not and is not acceptable.
I never wanted to be in politics � I don’t enjoy conflict and, in any event, I think business is the way to meet people’s needs � but I decided I had three choices: to emigrate, to moan or to stand. To my surprise, within three years of deciding to stand, I was elected to Parliament.
There’s much I care about from health, education and welfare to defence, transport, economics, money and banking, but ultimately what matters above all is that the people can dismiss their government peacefully at the ballot box. Across Europe today, that isn’t true in any meaningful sense. That in turn is not acceptable.
When I read Booker and North’s The Great Deception, I discovered that from Macmillan onwards, politicians have always understood that they were creating a new European nation and doing so through deceit and outright lies. When I read Mises’ Omnipotent Government, written through the end of the Second World War, I learned that peace schemes including a European customs union have long been considered. Mises explained how a customs union amogst interventionist nation states would inevitably lead to centralised economic government.
And so here we find ourselves, tragically, descending into a single interventionist European nation without democratic accountabilty but with a failing currency and a disintegrating socio-economic system. Europe has been here before, but previously on a smaller scale. It worked out badly.
For the good of all Europe, the European Union should undoubtedly be abolished. That would require a widespread commitment to classical liberalism: to free trade, peace and non-interference with business by politicians. Such a system could be arbitrated under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
Unfortunately, such an outcome is beyond the power of the British people. But we can have a plebiscite on our participation in the current mess. If the British people wish to give themselves up to the philosopher kings of Brussels, so be it. I would rather have us lead Europe into the hope and potential of a more dynamic future.
In any event, the people must be allowed to decide: nothing is more important than peaceful political self-determination.
Steven Baker is the Member of Parliament for Wycombe, having been elected in the 2010 general election. Steven is one of the many MPs to sign the People’s Pledge, make sure you all sign the People’s Pledge to get the referendum we all want.
Further reading
- My ConservativeHome article: The faith and folly of the Brussels elite
- My review of Booker and North’s The Great Deception
- Hayek, The Road to Serfdom (1944)
- Mises, Omnipotent Government – the rise of the total state and total war (Amazon, PDF)(1944)
- Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies (Vol 1, Vol 2) (1945)
thats 10 points Mr Baker, an arrow in the dead centre of the bullseye.
It is always gratifying to see a sinner repenting but, for those of us who have opposed the European project since it was first mooted, it is a matter of regret that so many only come late to the fray. Mr Baker has now awakened to the truths which we were stating even before the 1975 referendum and it is a pity that those who now recognize the reality of the EU often opposed our efforts in the past.
Nevertheless we should welcome a convert and hope that, when faced with the inevitable hostility of his party machine, Mr Baker will continue to stand up for what is right and not allow himself to be persuaded or coerced into acquiescence with the party leadership’s support for the EU.
Good article. Where can I see a list of all the MPs who have signed THE PEOPLE’S PLEDGE?
Yes, good article Mr Baker. It seems in ideological terms you have come a long way.
Having taken the decision to stand as an MP perhaps the next decisive step for you is to seriously consider whether you should, or can, remain in a political party which is anything but “conservative.”
Why not cross the floor and join UKIP to make your progress in politcal maturity to the point where you can register your disaffection to some effect?
A brilliant article! how are you going to convince David Cameron that we are entitled to a referendum though. It seems to me that every government we have had of whatever persuasion, are hell bent on leading us further down the integration route. This really has become a non party issue as members on all sides are for or against. What are they so scared of?
pro Europeans arguments never seem to stack up against evidence. We have never had a proper debate on the pros and cons and we should!
One of the problems is that each country has a very different view on what a European state really means. It seems to be dominated by socialists of the Gordon brown Ed milliband train of thought and that is why all the country’s are going skint.Ive voted conservative all my life and my family, but we are all voting for UKIP in the council elections as a protest against the deafness we are experiencing on this issue and a number of others like the human rights scandal we had hoped that a Tory government would put right. I think its time for another election and get rid of the lib dems once and for all.
An excellent article. It sums up the EU problem neatly. The above comments also are pertinent:
How to persuade Cameron is paramount. Only the Conservatives can bring about a Referendum, UKIP sadly are not even a UK Parliamentary force (a referendum comes from there) and Labour/LibDem will never contemplate a referendum.
All 3 main parties will not engage in an EU discussion. I mean the party elites, people like yourself and other individuals from all parties do engage but it goes nowhere until one party grasps the nettle.
Couldn’t agree more Josh and there are literally 1000′s more out there who are completely disenchanted and are desperate for a referendum. There is not much chance of Tories winning elections in Scotland, although I do vote for them. But this time round I will vote for UKIP and hopefully David Cameron & Co will come to their senses.
Steve Baker’s comments on the EU are very credible. Another significant voice arguing for a referendum on the EU is more than welcome from a Conservative MP. But I am concerned about Cameron’s refusal to even discuss the issue. It seems to me that Cameron’s indifference to the wishes of the electorate, means that his own MP’s don’t stand a chance of making him see sense. I can see progress on the EU issue happening only when control of the Conservative Party is removed from the Champagne Socialists, and returned to the Traditionalist-wing.
A fascinating and incisive article Mr B. I find myself coming round more and more to your point of view on the EU.
I am dejected and despondent that this country has been allowed to sink this low since being given away by past TORY/LABOUR governments.Some 80odd years ago, millions of men and women died fighting for a democratic homeland. What have we got now, we can’t even keep our fishing fleet, because People, the EUROPEAN UNION won’t let us. Our so called leader, knowing the peoples feelings of the EU, WONT EVEN DISCUSS A REFERENDUM , hows that for democracy, he will allow a referendum in Wales, giving them more law making ability, a referendum on AV/FPTP, but not on the most WANTED referendum of all.
This could have been carried out at the same time as the council elections and referendum for or against AV. Do not allow them to use COST as an excuse for not holding it, the cost of the war in Afganistan now Libya, hireing ships to help sick and injured from MISRATA
will have cost thousands if not millions. We are supposed to be skint, you wouldn’t think so, as Cameron gives away thousands every time he travels abroad. Anyone would think we were the only country left on the planet, why can’t some other Middle EAST COUNTRY dripping in oil take up the lead role and push Cameron out.
Give me strength. How many Brownie Points or EU
Gold Stars will cameron expect.
The only way to get our referendum is to vote for UKIP. The only reason they are not a parliamentary force is because the BBC tells us and we believe their bias. Nigel Farage is an outstanding orator and would run rings round any debate given the chance. UKIP have a range of policies, they are not a one trick pony. Steve Baker MP seems to share a lot of UKIP’s views. If you really want us to break the shackles of EU membership, there is only one logical vote.
Well!! To interperet Mr Baker`s eloquent comments, don`t confuse academic and so called intellectual thinking with common sense!! The majority of people in the country haven`t had the benefit of university/public school education but they have something much more valuable – COMMON SENSE. DONT tell people it`s raining when they KNOW something entirely different is happening!! Are you LISTENING Messr`s Cameron/Clegg???