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European Scrutiny Committee. Chaired by Michael Connarty. It has a new life. The man quite obviously cares. He is entirely pro- the project, but also entirely pro- "bringing the EU closer to its people". Unless this pleasant mission statement is the other way round: "Bringing the people closer to the EU". Either way, the poor fellow has only disappointment to look forward to because it ain't going to happen.

They had Margaret Beckett in for oral evidence on "new institutional structures". That is, the amending treaty which is to do what the Constitution didn't do (remember it got rejected in two referendums and got withdrawn because

What we all think (Euros and Neuros both) is that there is intense EU activity going on over there, trying to get the closest thing to a Constitution through into law, but differently phrased. The Germans sent out a questionnaire suggesting this. Change the language but not he substance, they say. And because it wouldn't be "a constitution" it wouldn't need a referendum.

The European Parliament voted 469-141 to adopt their Constitutional Affairs Committee's recommendations on the subject (let's not go into that just now). I merely say that (to show off and) to demonstrate the subject is intensely scrutinised la-bas. Equally certain is that Britain will come under pressure to give up her veto on Criminal Justice. Thus, British criminal law will be made in Brussels. The fact that we can't deport foreign terror suspects has already brought this prospect into disrepute.

All of which is to put Margaret Beckett's position into high relief. She's not saying anything about it. She even denies there is anything about which she could say something even if she wanted to. There is "no debate". There are "no discussions". She can't comment on any negotiations because "no negotiations have taken place." She can't comment on these proposals because they don't exist. , "Nothing has been proposed."

So, what are the Parliament and Constituional Committee talking about? "Very little," she snapped. "You don't know what's going on!" Bill Cash jeered. "There's nothing going on! she replied, a little wildly.

In the end, she revealed her reason for this phenomenal display of innocence. "The less I say, the more negotiating space I reserve."

That's true. It's a perfectly reasonable position for us who are men of the world. That's how the EU works. But to return to Michael Connarty's over-riding point: "this isn't connecting people to democracy. This isn't a transparent process. This is six months of severely damaging the whole process, it's very damaging to spend six months watching a 'frozen debate' happening behind a Chinese Wall."

"Behind a Berlin Wall," Bill Cash said (more than once, in case we hadn't got it the first few times).

NICE BECKETT QUOTE: "If I did use the word 'meaningful' I didn't mean it to mean anything at all."

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		2007-06-10 A FROZEN DEBATE BEHIND A BERLIN WALL. MRS BECKETT AT HER BEST. European Scrutiny Committee. Chaired by Michael Connarty. It has a new life. The man quite obviously cares. He is entirely pro- the project, but also entirely pro- "bringing the EU closer to its people". Unless this pleasant mission statement is the other way round: "Bringing the people closer to the EU". Either way, the poor fellow has only disappointment to look forward to because it ain't going to happen. They had Margaret Beckett in for oral evidence on "new institutional structures". That is, the amending treaty which is to do what the Constitution didn't do (remember it got rejected in two referendums and got withdrawn because Britain would obviously reject it too). What we all think (Euros and Neuros both) is that there is intense EU activity going on over there, trying to get the closest thing to a Constitution through into law, but differently phrased. The Germans sent out a questionnaire suggesting this. Change the language but not he substance, they say. And because it wouldn't be "a constitution" it wouldn't need a referendum. The European Parliament voted 469-141 to adopt their Constitutional Affairs Committee's recommendations on the subject (let's not go into that just now). I merely say that (to show off and) to demonstrate the subject is intensely scrutinised la-bas. Equally certain is that Britain will come under pressure to give up her veto on Criminal Justice. Thus, British criminal law will be made in Brussels. The fact that we can't deport foreign terror suspects has already brought this prospect into disrepute. All of which is to put Margaret Beckett's position into high relief. She's not saying anything about it. She even denies there is anything about which she could say something even if she wanted to. There is "no debate". There are "no discussions". She can't comment on any negotiations because "no negotiations have taken place." She can't comment on these proposals because they don't exist. , "Nothing has been proposed." So, what are the Parliament and Constituional Committee talking about? "Very little," she snapped. "You don't know what's going on!" Bill Cash jeered. "There's nothing going on! she replied, a little wildly. European Scrutiny Committee. Chaired by Michael Connarty. It has a new life. The man quite obviously cares. He is entirely pro- the project, but also entirely pro- "bringing the EU closer to its people". Unless this pleasant mission statement is the other way round: "Bringing the people closer to the EU". Either way, the poor fellow has only disappointment to look forward to because it ain't going to happen. They had Margaret Beckett in for oral evidence on "new institutional structures". That is, the amending treaty which is to do what the Constitution didn't do (remember it got rejected in two referendums and got withdrawn because Britain would obviously reject it too). What we all think (Euros and Neuros both) is that there is intense EU activity going on over there, trying to get the closest thing to a Constitution through into law, but differently phrased. The Germans sent out a questionnaire suggesting this. Change the language but not he substance, they say. And because it wouldn't be "a constitution" it wouldn't need a referendum. The European Parliament voted 469-141 to adopt their Constitutional Affairs Committee's recommendations on the subject (let's not go into that just now). I merely say that (to show off and) to demonstrate the subject is intensely scrutinised la-bas. Equally certain is that Britain will come under pressure to give up her veto on Criminal Justice. Thus, British criminal law will be made in Brussels. The fact that we can't deport foreign terror suspects has already brought this prospect into disrepute. All of which is to put Margaret Beckett's position into high relief. She's not saying anything about it. She even denies there is anything about which she could say something even if she wanted to. There is "no debate". There are "no discussions". She can't comment on any negotiations because "no negotiations have taken place." She can't comment on these proposals because they don't exist. , "Nothing has been proposed." So, what are the Parliament and Constituional Committee talking about? "Very little," she snapped. "You don't know what's going on!" Bill Cash jeered. "There's nothing going on! she replied, a little wildly. In the end, she revealed her reason for this phenomenal display of innocence. "The less I say, the more negotiating space I reserve." That's true. It's a perfectly reasonable position for us who are men of the world. That's how the EU works. But to return to Michael Connarty's over-riding point: "this isn't connecting people to democracy. This isn't a transparent process. This is six months of severely damaging the whole process, it's very damaging to spend six months watching a 'frozen debate' happening behind a Chinese Wall." "Behind a Berlin Wall," Bill Cash said (more than once, in case we hadn't got it the first few times). NICE BECKETT QUOTE: "If I did use the word 'meaningful' I didn't mean it to mean anything at all."	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A FROZEN DEBATE BEHIND A BERLIN WALL. MRS BECKETT AT HER BEST.

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