Not a Peace Treaty

Today the news is filled with the constitutional treaty. Following the unsurprising approval by the European Parliament and the ensuing scuffles, everyone wants to say their piece. Concerning the party held to celebrate the event, a comment from the anti side:

"It is perhaps a little premature - to say nothing of distasteful - for the champions of this grandiose scheme to be quaffing champagne before the people of Europe have had their say," said the North-East Conservative MEP Martin Callanan.

..which whilst a statement that is difficult to fault for its logic was in the confines of the EU Parliament as welcome as a pork butcher in Tehran. In reply:

"How far does £238,000 go in informing 455 million people?" retorted the Cheshire/Merseyside Liberal Democrat Chris Davies. "Five pence per person over two years is a fraction of the daily cost of the newspapers that force-feed the British people a diet of nonsense about the EU," Mr Davies said.

...which could possibly go down as the most irrelevant comment of the entire campaign despite stiff competition from both sides. Firstly, an information campaign based on drinking Champagne at someone else’s expense is, shall we say, somewhat unconventional. Moreover, it would not matter if the newspapers in question were £10 per day each, because their readers choose to buy them with their own money. And Mr Davies, Force feeding involves the use of force hence the name. Only the BBC can truly lay claim to this form of media distribution. We are forced to pay for it whether we like it or not. Meanwhile, showing the new found love of democracy, that comes with the greater powers they hope to gain from the treaty, all points of view were welcome:

Conservative and UK Independence Party MEPs said staff were manhandled, and some wrestled to the ground, by security guards while they were trying to put up "Vote No" banners within the building.

Well maybe not.