For and against a UK referendum on a European treaty

The weekly responds to current debate in the UK concerning whether or not hold a referendum on the revised European treaty. "In the 21st century, Britain needs a community of common interests, committed to democratic values and where power is firmly in the hands of elected politicians. It needs a European Union. The EU is not the enemy of the sovereign nation state, it is the only mechanism there is for European governments to wield power on the world stage. But instead of being seen as a bulwark against the forces of globalisation, the EU has become a lightning rod for anxiety about powerlessness and the erosion of national sovereignty. British politicians have abetted that process, tacitly allowing or flagrantly encouraging vilification of Brussels. So now a huge weight of resentment risks falling on the shoulders of one frail treaty. ... Any referendum would end up implicitly being about membership of the union and it would be wrong to hang such a question on this document."

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