The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner last Thursday (4th February) spoke in the House of Commons’ debate on Parliamentary Sovereignty and EU Renegotiations where MPs from all parties discussed the outcome of the Prime Minister’s renegotiations with the EU.
Speaking during the debate Mr Turner made it clear that he does not believe that the UK can trust the EU to ever change.
The Island’s MP said:
“In 2013 … the Prime Minister acknowledged that the status quo was not working for us any more – so he promised us change, reform and even a new treaty. Having received the draft negotiation earlier this week I ask myself, ‘Where are these grand promises of fundamental reform?’ There are none. Not a single clear-cut promise of any treaty amendment.
“The Prime Minister said that the European Union cannot progress with ‘more of the same’. So far, that is all I have seen – more of the same complex rules restricting and burdening us. More of the same inability for change. More of the same foreign dominance that we have not asked for, and that we do not want!”
Mr Turner went on to criticise the proposals for an ‘emergency brake’ on immigration, saying it was ‘outrageous’ that the final decision on whether to apply the brake would lie with other member states, not the UK. He also outlined his objection to the use of the word sovereignty in the draft proposals – when there are no proposals for powers to flow back to the UK Parliament, adding:
“The Prime Minister did warn us and say that ‘you will not always get what you want’. But it is becoming clearer that with the European Union you never get what you want.”
