European Affairs

Part of Orders of the Day – in the House of Commons at 12:43 pm on 18 June 2008.

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Photo of David Miliband David Miliband Foreign Secretary 12:43, 18 June 2008

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's very nice words about the Europe Minister; the fact that they mean the end of his political career is obviously a matter of some regret. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will find a way of withdrawing his kind compliments at some stage, although I fear that Labour Members were watching and may have heard his remarks. However, I wholly associate myself with them. I hope that that provides a degree of mitigation for the death sentence that has been handed to my hon. Friend. The hon. Gentleman and I are in agreement, however. Unless all 27 countries pass the treaty, it will not come into force. It is as simple as that.

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Jane Birkby
Posted on 20 Jun 2008 1:09 am (Report this annotation)

Why is it that I do not believe this statement?
Could it be that the EU full of lawyers will work out a way round the people's decision?
Democracy is about people making choices - whoever they are...and whatever they decide.
I relay a message from Edmund Burke of some 200 years ago - the people are the masters - not you.
You ignore that - and ignore the rule of law - at your peril."

John Buckeridge
Posted on 20 Jun 2008 11:52 pm (Report this annotation)

If you're going to cite a quotation, Jane Birkby, please get it right and don't tack sentences on the end to suit your own views. The correct quotation is: "[t]he People are the masters. They have only to express their wants in large and gross. We [the people's representatives] are the expert artists; we are the skillful workmen, to shape their desires into perfect form, and to fit the utensil to the use." Put this way, it reads quite differently - rather that Parliament should take the people's views into account, but at the end of the day it's for Parliament to decide which course of action to take for the greater good of the nation.