tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post6931852176220242776..comments2023-12-02T00:59:10.380+01:00Comments on England Expects: Tories surrender on ConstitutionGawain Towlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08583658895528269901noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post-58147790080427266852009-12-18T20:01:15.204+01:002009-12-18T20:01:15.204+01:00Just come across this. The point was that everyon...Just come across this. The point was that everyone knew what everyone else thought about the constitution, and no-one was likely to change their mind so it would be of limited use to discuss at this meeting.<br /><br />It is also worth recording that despite Gawain's blog and (failed) attempt to make a media story out of this at the time, no UKIP representative bothered to turn up to the meeting, just in cese anyone would have been in any doubt about the humbug of this faux outrage about an unremarkable discussion about the agenda.<br /><br />Must have been a quiet week in the UKIP newsroom?James T-Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post-27000256603549437972008-02-05T21:45:00.000+01:002008-02-05T21:45:00.000+01:00Yes they have, it seems that is what the spring co...Yes they have, it seems that is what the spring council will be about.Gawain Towlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08583658895528269901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post-76337891214343793112008-02-05T17:31:00.000+01:002008-02-05T17:31:00.000+01:00He's clearly not vetoed anything - if only we had ...He's clearly not vetoed anything - if only we had that kind of power.<BR/><BR/>If it had been me, I would have gone ahead with the discussion on the Treaty rather than on the Lisbon process but that might just be because far too long on IMCO has made me sick of the mention of Lisbon process. Has the Council actually decided that the spring Council will be about Lisbon again? Last year they seemed to relegate Lisbon to a bit part in the Council and spent more time on climate change.Mike Woodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05016813232626327117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post-45875496632530808322008-02-05T14:44:00.000+01:002008-02-05T14:44:00.000+01:00The point is Mike is that Giles has vetoed the dis...The point is Mike is that Giles has vetoed the discussion even over lunch.<BR/>Thus your next three paragraphs, though sensible are irrelevant.Gawain Towlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08583658895528269901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10701792.post-84337734060335446592008-02-05T12:53:00.000+01:002008-02-05T12:53:00.000+01:00I would have thought that the less formal setting ...I would have thought that the less formal setting of a discussion over lunch is probably a better place to discuss the constitution.<BR/><BR/>Where would you even start to draw up an agenda for a discussion on the constitution? Positions are so entrenched by now that you wouldn't even be to agree the agenda.<BR/><BR/>Any discussion would just end up going round in circles, repeating a debate that has been well rehearsed. When the position is that there should not be a Treaty without a referendum, there really is very little new to add.<BR/><BR/>The campaign for a referendum - and then for a no vote - needs to be conducted in public, not through an obscure closed meeting where few minds are likely to change.Mike Woodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05016813232626327117noreply@blogger.com