Treaty a landmark success for Britain......

From Britain in Europe

The usual suspects sent a letter to the times last week celebrating the new European Union Constitution.

Sir, on Friday, the nations of Europe come together to sign a second Treaty of Rome. This treaty will create new and simpler constitutional arrangements, replacing almost five decades of complex and overlapping documents with a single text. It will protect the sovereignty of Europe's nation states and set limits for the first time on what the EU can and cannot do.

Replacing many treaties with one does have some rational, but how can the supremacy of EU law protect national sovereignty. As for limits, it bears repeating, that everything that the EU has ever put into a treaty has been stretched to the limits. Besides many federalists are openly saying that this treaty is a good step forward, but we need to go further.

The treaty makes it easier for us to work together to deal with the cross border issues that define the 21st century such as global warming and the threat of international terrorism. It will give a bigger role to the parliament and people of this country. It commits Europe to work for the economic and social benefit of us all.

When did the purpose of the EU become fighting terrorism and global warming. They use any opportunity to push their cause, relevant not. Terrorism will not be fought with conferences and fine words and the EU has no stomach to pursue any real action. Besides the idea that we need to EU to work together is interesting. Its real purpose is to stifle different viewpoints, if we were all agreed on something working together would hardly need the EU institutions.

Across Europe this treaty is viewed as a landmark success for Britain. It will protect and enhance our vital national interests and enable us to work more effectively with our partners to change Europe for the better.

We will constantly hear this refrain over the coming months, that our neighbours see the treaty as a win for Britain. This combined with the idea that the EU is coming around to our way of thinking will be one of the major platforms of the yes lobby. I guess it was a victory in as much as only some of the red lines were crossed. Complete rejection of this vile work of nation neutering would be a much more pleasant victory by far.

Yours faithfully, Rt. Hon Chris Patten, Rt. Hon Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP, Rt. Hon Robin Cook MP, Rt. Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Rt. Hon Lord Howe of Aberavon, Ian Taylor MBE MP, Rt. Hon Stephen Byers MP, Rt. Hon Neil Kinnock, John Monks, Malcolm Bruce MP, Nick Clegg

So what a suprise the usual suspects liked it.