Member News
By Lord Empey - 7th November 2011
Lord Empey argues that the government has signed up to EU Treaty commitments that they don't understand, as he raises concerns about the impact of citizens of EU countries migrating to the UK to access our welfare system.
On 29th September 2011, the EU Commission issued a 'reasoned opinion' that the decision of the UK government to subject applications for certain social security benefits to a 'right to reside' test contravenes EU law. The Commission believes that this discriminates against non-UK EU citizens.
The government has been given two months to respond.
I understand that HMG will fight this opinion, including being prepared to have this fought through the EU's Court of Justice, and they are also working with other EU governments who feel threatened by the Commission's interpretation.
The main point I am trying to make, in addition to the inability of this country to afford so-called 'benefit tourism', is the downstream consequences arising from decisions taken by successive governments in various EU Treaties that they ratify.
The rhetoric in London is usually hostile to many of the decisions coming from Brussels, and rightly so, but the reason why many of these unpalatable decisions appear in the first place is because the UK has signed up to Treaty commitments that they either don't understand or try to conceal from the British people and Parliament.
At this difficult time for our economy, we must have honesty over European matters. I don't think the record over recent years says we have that yet.
The other frightening possibility is that our negotiators in Europe fail to fully understand what they are signing up to. I hope I am wrong about that!
Reg Empey was leader of the Ulster Unionist party from 2005-2010.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd