The Great William Cash has laboured mightily to deliver unto the world a 130-page report on the "Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance", assessing its "impact on the eurozone and the rule of law".

If you are particularly keen on Bill and his magnificent European Scrutiny Committee, you can also entertain yourself with a second volume of the same report, a more modest 15-pages. However, most people will lose the will to live after reading ten pages of the first volume, so I suspect this will go largely unread.

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Many years ago I attended some sort of function and before eating I was speaking with a used car salesman. when we went through to dinner I sat next to said car salesman and we were unfortunate in the extreme to find ourselves sitting opposite said Cash.

He asked me what I did for a living and I gave my stock answer to imbeciles and hairdressers ("as little as humanly possible"). Getting nothing from me he then asked my newly acquired best friend who said he sold cars. I can still see Cash's face when he asked in all earnestness "Oh and what showroom do you own?".

He knows as much now as he did then. Zero.

Why does this 'eurosceptic' give a rats arse about the body of EU law??

Because he is not actually a eurosceptic ... never has been.

Below is a reply from John Redwood on a comment I made on his blog.
about the veto.

For whom the poll tolls
By johnredwood | Published: March 31, 2012

Bernie in pipewell
Posted March 31, 2012 at 8:25 pm | Permalink


Am I right in thinking that in order to use “the veto”, an Intergovernmental Conference needs to be convened and the text of a treaty or the text of an amendment to a treaty, needs to be available to agree or veto. Was this the case in December last? I think DC objected to this process proceeding. This objection was then spun into “a veto”.

Disaffected, I don’t think you lied, furthermore I agree with all you have written above.

Bernie

Reply: Mr Cameron did use the veto to stop an EU Treaty – a voting member state can do that at any meeting to discuss such a Treaty, and if it sticks it is a valid veto. This did stick, because there is no EU Treaty.

You do have a way with words.

The veto is in the eye of the beholder.

Actually, my writing style is "flat and lifeless" ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RTRM4XNG ... RM4XNGGGL6

That's one of the very few things that This Blessed Plot gets right: the outing of Cash as a naive europhile who couldn't see the wood (overt federalism of le projet) for the trees (minutiae of treaties' sub clauses).

Yes ... it's only the eurosceptics who believe he is a eurosceptic.

Blimey Dr North, Pritchard don't like you does he...

I am 3/4 way through at present and am thoroughly enjoying it.
I am learning something practically every page too.

There is an Obituary in today's Telegraph for a Mosquito Navigator. He seemed to have a enjoyable war. However, he survived 30 missions in Blenheims before being transferred to Mosquitos, but judging by your book, the number of Blenheims shot down by friendly fire he was lucky to have survived his 30 missions.

Talking of the book, is there any chance that North Jnr could set up a web page so that we could ask questions or get clarifications or (ahem, send corrections) or just general discussion about the book?


P.S. I have not had an acknowledgment to my email regarding the Old Swan meeting. Did you receive it?

We're working on a website ... but it's been held up pending the new EU Ref site. I'll do a post over the weekend, with a "Many not the few" thread ... to pick up the errors and a general discussion.

On the Old Swan ... you should have had an e-mail response. I apologise if you have not. Drop me line on RAENORTH-at-aol.com and I'll sort it.