The EU and Democracy
by Martin Deighton
In response to Mr Norman: Mr Norman knows that I clearly stated in my letter of November 1 that I do not know, indeed no one can know, what Churchill would have voted for in today’s dangerously divergent, nationalist world. I have no idea what Churchill would make of the current mess we are in.
What I do know is that Mr Norman’s assertion that the United Europe we have today is “undemocratic” is a deception initiated by Farage and his fellow travellers. We elect our MEPs and most them, with the exception of the UKIP gang, have worked hard on hundreds of resolutions that have benefited and protected all European Union citizens. These vary from the standardisation of phone charges to the safety of medicines and safety at work.
No resolution, no decision, no law, and no article can be ratified by anyone in the EU other than the Council of Ministers, who are the elected leaders of our 28 nation states, and then these resolutions must carry unanimous support from our national leaders.
Our commissioners are appointed by elected governments. They, like our ambassadors and diplomats, are in place to carry out the instructions and commissions given to them by our elected governments. If they diverted from these commissions, they would be “fired”.
Does Mr Norman suggest that we, the people, should elect ambassadors, diplomats and all of the officers and administrative staff who carry out national business as instructed by government?