Who is the head?

[kleinboet]

Sorry, guys - I am not trying to start an argument, but something is bugging me and I need your help.

 

Messrs Blair and Brown are going to to put us into the EU without a referendum. Can they really do this?

 

I ALWAYS thought that the Queen is the head of state. Although it is largely a ceremonial thing these days, I still thought that SHE was head of state - and as such Blair/Brown have NO authority to make such a decision without royal assent!

I am not being contentious, just confused, what's your opinion?

[captain cojones]

blair and brown are not going to put you into the eu without a referendum.

you have have been in the eu,under various names,(but originally known as the common market) since edward heath was in power.

[Guest Rabbit]

What on earth has it got to do with the Queen?

 

The Government is elected to carry out its peoples will.

 

There is no constitutional need to have a referendum on anything.

[kleinboet]

Rabbit read my post - The queen IS the head of state, when she opens parliament she always speaks of "my people". I have to assume from all the pomp and ceremony that she is indeed the head of state!

Cappy - we are ASSOCIATE members (this cost us dearly). This new paper is, apparently, "articles of membership" instead of "articles of association".

[captain cojones]

Cappy - we are ASSOCIATE members (this cost us dearly). This new paper is, apparently, "articles of membership" instead of "articles of association".

 

the uk is a full member, of the european union.it has been since it joined as the common market.

the "new paper" i think you refer to? i think you mean the reform treaty? is to do with making the larger sized EU easier to run.it has nothing to do with"joining" the eu, as you already did, many years ago.

Edited November 4, 2007 by captain cojones

[Steve Walker]

is to do with making the larger sized EU easier to run.

 

Yes, by overcoming all those troublesome objections from those pesky democratically elected sovereign governments...

 

Whether the new constitution is a good thing or not is a complex question, but I think the various attempts to rebrand it as some kind of unimportant administrative exercise are disingenuous.

 

There is already a serious democratic deficit in the heart of the EU, and this will make it worse. Whether it is worth that, because it will facilitate EU enlargement, is the question. Personally, I think the function of EU enlargement is basically political ego. I just don't get the point of ceding power from parliament to the regions while at the same time distancing voters from the ability to have any effective say over how their lives are impinged upon by pan-european government.

Edited November 4, 2007 by Steve Walker

[Guest Rabbit]

Rabbit read my post - The queen IS the head of state, when she opens parliament she always speaks of "my people". I have to assume from all the pomp and ceremony that she is indeed the head of state!

 

Your assumption is right she is head of state, but she has no political influence, That was the the question you posed, I hope you will now agree ... once just once please

[ayjay]

The queen has the right to veto anything that parliament decide.

 

That option has not however been used for over 300 years and almost certainly never will be, but her right remains.

[John S]

Absolutely correct Ayjay, as I pointed out in another thread recently. It's just a pity certain people never took any notice....

[mr motorola]

The queen has the right to veto anything that parliament decide.

 

That option has not however been used for over 300 years and almost certainly never will be, but her right remains.

Fair point ayjay , so , (going slightly off topic) having not imposed this particular power and pretty much everything else she has at her disposal , would it be fair to say that the queen serves pretty much no reason whatsoever to be in place?

 

With the world being moved / forced into the "next generation" so to speak , is it time that she / the realm got up-to-date and packed it all in?