Dr Lee Rotherham

Today, Valery Giscard d'Estaing will present his draft Constitution to Silvio Berlusconi in Rome. This marks the close of the European Convention. However, Bruges Group Constitutional adviser Dr Lee Rotherham called it “a catalogue of missed opportunities”.

“Fishermen have been dumped; the CAP has been left to seed; EU whistleblowers stay out in the cold; national parliaments find a mere fig leaf to cover their impotence.

“But when it comes to giving more roles to Brussels, it’s Presidents a go-go and a blancmonge of new power structures, like the President of the Euro Group, and the powerful EU Foreign Minister.

“Our government negotiators have turned out like our tennis players – we're rooting for them, but it all goes horribly wrong for the Brits before the final showdown.

“I count 38 more vetos lost. Add to the 19 from Amsterdam and 43 from Nice. That's a running total of around 100 vetos lost since Labour came to power. Is Tony Blair aiming to become the 100 veto man before he retires – the man who will have handed over one hundred ways to say no?

Robert Oulds, Bruges Group Director, promised there would be no let up from the Bruges Group in the coming months, and that the Government would continue to be held to account.

- ENDS -

– NOTES TO EDITORS –
Bruges Group representatives are available for interviews and quotes on the implications of the proposed EU Constitution and other topical EU related issues.