Here's a little thought for this Monday morning in the wake of the new "OMFG its a Europe Row!" line that is dominating the newspaper and the Today programme. Back in 2000, when GW Bush won the US Presidency, hanging chads aside, we heard a lot of screaming from the Left (on both sides of the Atlantic) about how he didn't win the popular vote and it was only thanks to the electoral college that he won the White House. American democracy was, they said, in deficit. The voices of the people were not heard.
Now shoot to this side of the Atlantic and the same voices on the Left are saying that a treaty that will mean an EU president will be appointed rather than elected is something we should rejoice in. A treaty that endorses a system where some of the most powerful offices in Europe in the EU Commission remain decided by back office smokey deals. Isn't it funny how they change their mind to suit themselves?
Even more bizarre, if you dare to point these things out and suggest that the treaty might be bad because it enshrines further in the law the principle that power is to be held not at the bequest of the citizen but rather at the bequest of the politician and bureaucrat, you are, a swivel-eyed loon on the fringes of the mainstream way of thinking - the "mainstream way of thinking" being that the proles (also known as the "electorate") should shut up, and be happy.
Incidentally, if you're looking for what I think Cameron should do about the Lisbon Treaty it's rather simple. If it isn't ratified by the time the next general election occurs, then have a manifesto commitment for a referendum. If it is ratified, then have a manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on whether Britain should begin negotiations with the European Council about exercising her rights of exit as defined in the Lisbon Treaty.
Simples!
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