In a speech to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, rejected the Coalition Government’s European Union Bill.
Describing the Bill as “bogus”, Drax said that the referendum lock it proposed would not protect Britain from further significant transfers of power to Brussels.
“It is an admirable aim, which we promised in our manifesto when we undertook to repatriate powers from the EU,” he said. “This Bill does not do that.”
Drax added there was too much “wriggle room” in the Bill.
And though a referendum lock provided a seemingly “elegant solution” to the ratchet clauses - which had turned the Lisbon Treaty into law before the country could vote on it - it was inadequate.
Drax said that no less than five major transfers of power had taken place since May: the European External Action Service; the European Arrest Warrant; EU City regulation; EU budget oversight; and our raised contributions to the EU.
“The truth is that not a single one of those transfers of power would have been halted as a result of the referendum lock proposed,” he said.
The Accession agreements, which allow more countries to join the EU, were not covered by the Bill, he said.
Nor were any topics considered “insignificant” by Ministers. Both would become law unimpeded.
“We are asked to take the matter on trust,” he said, “trust that our masters will ensure that no further powers are transferred away from the UK during the next Parliament.
“This would be easier to swallow had we not allowed the EU to roll us on our backs on five occasions over the past six months.”
The Bill was also intended to protect UK sovereignty by statute – another manifesto promise.
“Suffice it to say that one, five-line passage – clause 18 – does not enshrine our sovereignty adequately,” said Drax.
“When I was elected, many of my constituents made it clear that the power grabbing EU was one of their primary concerns.
“I would be serving them badly if I were to pretend that this Bill would do anything concrete to protect the country they love.”