I was in Brussels earlier this week to discuss a wide range of subjects of concern to the Commons Business and Enterprise committee which I chair – issues ranging from energy policy to mobile phone charges.
The visit reminded me once again that Britain’s place is in the European Union – but that we must work to make the EU more flexible and outward looking.
We have a lot to gain from an efficient and environmentally responsible European energy policy, for example.
It is perfectly possible to be critical of aspects of the EU while acknowledging the useful role it can play on many issues.
That’s why I’m so sad about the Government’s attitude to the Lisbon Treaty, a reworked version of the failed EU Constitution which rightly caused such a row several years ago.
It’s currently being debated in the Commons, but nowhere near enough time is being allowed by the Government for the “line by line” scrutiny we were promised.
And to make matters worse, they’re pushing it through Parliament without putting it to the national referendum they promised.
Anyone who dares to oppose the treaty, even though ministers tried and failed to change many aspects of it, is portrayed by government loyalists as a wide-eyed lunatic.
Thank goodness, then, for the I Want a Referendum campaign, which is holding private referendums in various areas around the country this month, including one in Redditch.
I supported the campaign there on Saturday and I was extremely impressed by the level of awareness and engagement. Redditch people are angry.
“The Government should remember that if you try to gag the British people, you often end up getting kicked”
The Government has also got the Northern Rock affair badly wrong.
Since the bank got into trouble in the autumn, the Government has dithered about what to do. It ignored warnings, failed to take the right preventative measures and rejected at least one good deal to take the bank off its hands.
As a result we are all deep in debt – for the Government’s debt is our debt – and the reputation of London as a well regulated financial centre is in jeopardy.
And just like the Lisbon Treaty, once again Parliament has been denied the opportunity of proper debate, with the Bill to nationalise Northern Rock dramatically curtailing the time available for proper scrutiny.