European Community

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:48 pm on 18 December 1980.

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Photo of Mr David Stoddart Mr David Stoddart , Swindon 7:48, 18 December 1980

I enjoyed the keen and perceptive speech of the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) and I listened intently to the speech of the hon. Member for Holland with Boston (Mr. Body). Those speeches showed that on the Conservative Benches there is now a deep concern about Britain's position in the the EEC and the effect of membership on our way of life.

The hon. Member for Holland with Boston hit the nail on the head when he said that he was not anti-European, that he was pro-European—that goes for all of us, I think—but that he believed that we should co-operate with Europe on the basis of equality and freedom of decision as a nation State—that we should not, in other words, be constrained by a Treaty which not only circumscribes the actions of nation States but alters our constitution fundamentally.

This country has for a long time had a flexible constitution, and the Treaty of Rome has imposed a written constitution on us from outside. Many of us are beginning to get increasingly worried about the constraints imposed by the Treaty.

Very few people are listening to this debate. The Lord Privy Seal boasted about the Government's achievements in the EEC over the last six months, and am surprised that the Government have chosen the last day but one before the recess for a debate on those developments. Although many people think that this is a boring subject—