I’ve an early start tomorrow (well early for a Sunday, so before 12), so here’s an article from The Chiefio, just as the EU is about to go tis up, Latin America decide’s it’s an excellent model to follow:
And don’t forget if you’ve not signed it already there’s another e-gov petiton to have an referendum on leaving the EU
Friday see’s the end of the consultation period for our new bill of rights, or as Mr Cameron would have it our bill of rights, as he seems to be unaware of the existing documents which form our constitution (H/T Captain Ranty):
Our rights can be found in the Magna Carta of 1215, 1229, 1297, the Declaration of Arbroath 1320, the Bill of Rights 1688, for Scotland we have the Claim of Right 1689, the Act of Settlement 1701, the Act of Union 1707, the Human Rights Act 1998 and several international and European Acts also provide some protection.
Given that our Parliament as currently formed can not bind successive Parliaments any Bill of rights they come up with won’t be worth much, unlike our existing bill of rights
The Devils Kitchen is minded that most of these charters have been eroded to next to nothing already, though many would argue that this isn’t possible we’ve just been tricked into thinking they have – and it’s quite within our grasp to reassert them. However his point that a written constitution as would be constructed by our current incumbents would be a terrible thing is one that’s hard to argue with. Given the degree with which they are enamoured with the EU the chances that it’s move us more towards the view that everything not allowed is forbidden (rather than the current everything not forbidden is allowed) would seem quite likely.
The question I find niggling at the back of my mind with this move to create a new bill of rights happening at the same time as they want to tinker with the Act of settlement and everything that’s tied into. As His Grace observes most people don’t care about this, and playing jenga with the foundations of our Parliament and laws is only likely to cause the whole edifice to come crashing down. Usually I take the view that one shouldn’t attribute to malice what can be explained by ignorance, but the Government have advisor’s, and lawyers and other such that are notionally wise in these matters. Which makes ignorance less likely, though malice is a scarier idea and one that has me reaching or my tin foil hat. In the unlikely event we get asked (they’ve done so well with referenda so far)if we want these ancient laws changed I doubt the significance will be explained, we’ll just awake to find we’ve abandoned hard one rights and removed what scant limits there are on our Government. Our Government seems determined to tug at the threads that hold the land together, and bind their hands however loosely but once they’ve unravelled the Union of this land who’ll stitch it back together? The EU?
There’s still to join in that consultation.
Update My late submission to them below the line:
Continue reading
Whilst the students march under the banner of “9th Nov”, with the demands in smaller paler print, it seems that Italy is heading rapidly under water with Barclays Capital saying Italy Is Finished: “Mathematically Beyond Point Of No Return” (H/T Katabasis). The global markets aren’t doing so well, so an excellent time to be campaigning for your Government to keep spending more money than you’ve got. If of course that’s what the students are doing, as the small print says:
“Fight privatisation, defend eduction”
Given how many universities started as private enterprises one wouldn’t have thought that defending education would have to entail fighting privatisation but hey what do I know?
For anyone still confused by the economic situation Small dead animals has it explained (H/T Samizdata):
Official UK Threat Level
"a youngster trying to defend from a moral standpoint themselves living an immoral existence." - Harbringer
