EU Internal Market threat to NHS
Dear Editor
Letter for Publication
It is a pity that so few MPs can be bothered to attend the Commons debates on the Lisbon Treaty, because some very important issues are being aired.
For example, when the Labour MP Frank Dobson stood up and announced that he was "extremely concerned about recent developments in the EU", and in particular about the application of the EU's "internal market" rules to the NHS.
(Hansard, February 6th, Column 1001)
Because although both the present treaty, and the proposed new treaty, appear to forbid the EU from interfering with the NHS, in fact it has already started to do so.
Judging from the havoc wreaked on our postal services since they have been treated as part of the EU's "internal market" - through what is EUphemistically described as "liberalisation", but is in reality a gradual, insidious, process of privatisation - it seems highly unlikely that the NHS would benefit from the same kind of EU interference.
A central problem is that although a government minister may offer no end of warm reassurances about what this or that part of an EU treaty means, the final decision on what it means rests not with him, but with lawyers at the EU's Court of Justice.
They have a long history of expanding the scope of EU treaties and laws, and interpreting them in whatever way they think will best promote "ever closer union".
Lastly may I give credit to that handful of honest Labour MP's ,like Kate Hoey and Frank Field ,who are demanding that Labour keep their promise and give us a referendum on the lisbon Treaty/Constitution despite disgraceful threats from their party whip
Yours
Cllr Steve Radford
President of The Liberal Party
