Nor should we be surprised when governments help to negotiate, without public consent, treaties such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which undermine the sovereignty of both parliament and the law.
British law and Parliament have no sovereignty over trade at all. That’s an exclusive EU matter these days.
Blimey, if you’re going to complain about the constitution at least understand it first.
if you’re going to complain about *** at least understand it first.
You trying to put the Tox Dadger out of business. Mr Wortsall?
What’s even more hilarious is when you look at the ‘Courageous State’ which I am sure Monbiot supports, the prime remaining example of it is described thus(Hat tip to Freedom House):
‘The Courageous State does not have an independent judiciary. The UN General Assembly has recognized and condemned severe Courageous State human rights violations, including torture, public executions, extrajudicial and arbitrary detention, and forced labor; the absence of due process and the rule of law; and death sentences for political offenses’
‘Freedom of assembly is not recognized, and there are no known associations or organizations other than those created by the Courageous State. Strikes, collective bargaining, and other organized labor activities are illegal.’
‘Corruption is believed to be endemic at every level of the state and economy, and bribery is pervasive.’
‘There is no academic freedom. The state must approve all curricula, including domestically based, foreigner-led educational opportunities. Although some Courageous State citizens are permitted to study abroad—at both universities and short-term educational training programs—these opportunities are also subject to crackdowns.
Nearly all forms of private communication are monitored by a huge network of informants’
Despite the problems he identifies – I am guessing most people would prefer the UK, with all its faults, to the Courageous State….
What public consent is he insisting on? The approval of the Guardian? A plebiscite?
Like the stopped clock he is right that international trade agreements are shite. The rest is garbage.
So quite good by Madbot’s usual standards.
But he doesn’t say the British Government, he says “governments”.
I would imagine he includes the EU Commission* in that definition. For that is what it claims to be, does it not?
* and the various other arms of the Euro-octopus, before some pedant comes along to correct me.