A Beautiful example of New Labour Spin is their statement on the new Constitutional Reform Treaty.

This Treaty walks like the Constitution, it swims like the Constitution and it quacks like the Constitution. Call it whatever you wish – The Reform Treaty, The Lisbon Treaty, an Amending Treaty? - it is The Constitution.

This is a classic example of typical New Labour Spin. Strictly true statements are used to imply the exact opposite of the true situation by omitting some other truths that dramatically alter what they have declared.

Gordon Brown signed the UK up to the EU Reform Treaty on 19^th Oct 2007. What he said was:

*        that it is now only a Reform Treaty and significantly different from the original Constitution therefore there is no need for a referendum.

*        that he has insisted on a number of ‘Red Lines’ which will secure vital safeguards for UK interests enabling us to opt out of parts of the Constitutional Reform Treaty.

*        that he has pledged to block any further moves to transfer any more UK political power to the EU over the next decade.  "I will not support further institutional change over the next few years," As such he is claiming that he is ‘protecting Britain’s vital interests’

All that is true but in a very narrow and limited sense and also depends upon how he personally interprets what he has said.

BUT the bits he left out are

*        These ‘Red Lines’ will last for no more than five years and will mostly disappear before then.

*        The Reform Treaty is only different from the original Constitution in that a few items of no consequence have been left out – such as an EU Anthem. (clearly in Gordon Brown’s opinion this is a very significant change). The rest of the European ministers agree this Reform Treaty to be more than 95% the same as the original Constitution. Giscard d’Estaing, who wrote the original, has said that this Reform Treaty has been re-written in a very obscure Eurobabble style. This is to ensure that the ‘ordinary thickies’ of Europe and the UK (that’s us voters folks) will be unable to read it let alone understand it.

*        The European Court of Justice will have the legal authority to cancel the ‘Red Lines’ if anyone appeals against them. This will enable the EJC to use the traditional EU salami technique to systematically trim away thin slices until there is nothing left of our Red Lines.

*        The most important clause of all is the one that makes it a self- amending Treaty. This means that the unelected European Commission will have complete authority to amend any part of the Treaty at any time without consulting national parliaments. That includes rescinding Gordon Brown’s Red Lines and forcing the UK to adopt the Euro whenever they wish. Strictly it will be the Council of Ministers who will have to agree to any amending. However they only meet occasionally and essentially Rubber Stamp proposals drafted by the unelected European Commission. Ministers from the UK will always be outvoted by those from the rest of Europe. The proceedings and minutes of these meetings are absolutely secret.

*        From all this Gordon Brown will not need to “..block any further EU demands for more UK political power..” – he has effectively given them all they need already (to be ratified in 2009) to take anything more they wish whenever they wish.

*        Gordon Brown far from protecting British interests has betrayed them.

In an interview on Radio 4 on Sat 20^th Oct Mr Barroso (the president of the unelected European Commission that holds all the significant power in Brussels) stated that he was “..completely confident that the Gordon Brown’s Red Lines were secure for the time being”.

The phrase “for the time being” is very significant indeed.

So much for honesty from Gordon Brown. Despite him only speaking true statements we feel we are quite justified in calling him a Quisling whose pants are on fire.