British influence in Europe is a charade

It has taken an Independent Labour Peer in the Lords to explode the myth of British influence in the European Union.

Lord Stoddard of Swindon:

My Lords, first, the noble Baroness the Leader of the House, in her reply to the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, pointed out that 80 per cent of decisions were made by co-decision with the European Parliament. I would point out that even if the British Members voted as a group, they could always be outvoted by over seven to one. Decisions that might be inimical to this country's best interests could be passed, irrespective of the views of the British Government or the British people.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon:

My Lords, I understand the noble Lord's point about co-decision and the fact that the will of the British Government and, perhaps, British Members of the European Parliament will not necessarily be in the majority in any co-decision procedure, but that is what the European Union is all about. I do not deny that.

"There we have it, as plain as day" said Nigel Farage, UKIP leader. "The Government now tells us that the whole point of, what the European Union is all about, is that British MEPs, the British Government, should have their will over ridden. It's deliberately designed so that we must do as others tell us, not what we would like or wish to have as our own laws.

" It's taken an Independent Labour Peer to force the admission for the first time: that British so called influence in Europe is a charade. They can over rule us any time they like and so they actually rule us. Time to leave this shoddy construction designed purely to prevent us exercising our own democratic rights."