The government today published a White Paper setting out its 'red lines' on transfers of power to the EU in the proposed EU Constitution.

In his statement, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw made it clear that the government intends to agree to everything the latest draft proposes bar the extension of Qualified Majority Voting to a few of the thirty or more proposed areas.

Mr Straw's statement also indicated that the government will, as it did during the Nice Treaty negotiations, seek to hide behind 'enlargement' to explain yet further substantial transfers of decision-making power to the EU.

However Mr Straw didn't make it clear quite why handing power over criminal justice, foreign policy, economic, social and employment policies to the EU, and the creation of a full-time EU President and Foreign Minister amongst other proposed extensions of EU power at the expense of accountable national government is somehow necessary 'for enlargement'.

Critics accused the government of trying to obscure the true implications of the EU constitution by refusing to treat it in the same way as they treated the single currency.

Launching a campaign for proper public scrutiny of the EU Constitution through examination of five new tests, Marc Glendening, campaign director for the all-party Democracy Movement says:

"The EU Constitution will have even more far-reaching consequences than the euro, not just on the economy and public services but also on criminal justice, foreign policy, social and employment policies.

"If it was right to subject the single currency to five tests and the promise of a referendum before committing Britain to entry, then the EU Constitution should likewise have to face a full, public examination of its political and economic magnitude.

"The government's failure to publicly scrutinise the EU Constitution in a similar way would quite rightly lead to suspicion about what they are trying to hide and only increase the need for a proper national debate and referendum."

<Ends>

For more information, contact Marc Glendening on 020 7491 3072
E-mail: mail@democracymovement.org.uk

NOTES: