European Union Bill

My Lords, I was going to begin my comments by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Radice, on the very sensible and balanced way in which he put his case, although his peroration slightly took off the ground towards the end of his remarks, but perhaps that is the nature of perorations. However, as the debate has gone on, I have begun to share the sentiment expressed by my noble friend Lady Williams that the situation is sad in a sense, although I suspect that I disagree somewhat with my noble friend on how the EU should develop in the 21st century and be made fit for purpose, where the great trends should go and how this country should reinforce them. Nevertheless, I agree with her that all the old polarities of debate have prevailed for far too long. Over the past decade or so, one has needed to see emerge a new and much more positive British presentation and role than we have seen. That is a matter of regret. The Government have no difficulty in supporting the main sentiment behind this amendment. We are members of the European Union. If we are members of organisations such as the massive and amazing European Union, it would be absurd to do anything short of making the very creative best we could of that. Therefore, the noble Lord, Lord Radice, makes an important point about the need for the Government to be a more vocal and effective advocate of the European Union of which we are members, given the way that the world is shaping. This applies also to other great bodies in the world of which we are members. I am sure he will join me in saying that we need to do better than the efforts of previous Administrations in our approach to this vital task. Indeed, the noble Lord said as much. We should do so by explaining more clearly how good and positive EU membership is part of our overall adjustment to a totally changed world landscape in which major markets are growing up outside Europe and in which Europe and the European Union, including this nation, are going to have to compete with increasing vigour. We need to ensure that the European Union is understood to be, and is seen as, a force for good. We want people to understand that the European Union, and our membership of it, has been, and can be, a force for good. We need to improve the effectiveness—this is slightly off the brief—of the EU’s own voice. Many of us feel that sometimes in recent years that voice has not been quite so effective and focused as it should have been. We seek to present positively to the British people the benefits of these activities and our membership of the Union. The coalition is doing that. Indeed, all Governments should do so as a matter of course into the future. I argue that the spirit of reconnection behind this Bill—this is widening the debate somewhat—is part of the whole programme of bringing back the cause of the European Union to some degree of consensual popularity. The more we deny the dramatic fall-off in support for the European Union as a popular cause that is going on not only here but throughout Europe, the more difficulty we will have in reviving and promoting the right kind of Europe in the future. This Government’s approach will carry more weight with the British people if it is not just Government but Parliament making the case. If this case is made because of our convictions rather than having to do so because legislation requires it, all the better. Therefore, I agree with the sentiment that has been expressed and the impulse behind the amendment but I do not see that it would add anything specific to the clearly identified need for us to speak out for the European Union. Not just the coalition Government but all parties and all those who speak for the United Kingdom, and seek to protect our interests and promote our contribution to global stability and security, need to speak out very vigorously for the great organisations to which we belong and of which we are close members, and which successive Prime Ministers have said that we should be at the heart of—namely, the European Union, which is our region, where we reside. In particular, the Government need to demonstrate our commitment to the UK’s continued membership and, of course, to the reform, evolution and development of the European Union itself to meet the great new challenges that lie ahead, many of which are completely new and to which none of us yet has neat and clear answers as to how we should adjust our dispositions, power, influence and policies. Therefore, my short answer to the noble Lord’s well intentioned endeavour to raise this issue is that I understand the sentiments behind the amendment but we do not need a statutory requirement in a Bill to make the point he is trying to make. For those reasons, I ask him, in, I hope, a good spirit, not to press the amendment.