EU constitution crisis must trigger reform

North West Conservative MEP David Sumberg is calling on the European Union to seize on the French and Dutch rejection of the proposed EU constitution, and re-think its future direction.

"The French gave the constitution its death sentence then the Dutch gave it a fatal blow,' he said. "The constitution is dead. The British Government must now give the lead and unpick the mess which Europe has become, to create an EU which the people of Europe want."

Mr Sumberg said the result of the referendums in France and Holland should not be seen as a problem but as a "tremendous opportunity" for Britain and the other member states to reassess the way the EU operates.

"The EU is too centralised, too remote, too unaccountable, and does too much,' he said. "The constitution would make those shortcomings worse. So this is a great opportunity. Let's think again about the kind of EU we want, and make it much less centralised, less remote, and more accountable and decide that it should do less."

Mr Sumberg backed calls by Conservative leader Michael Howard that the promised UK referendum should be scrapped, as long as the EU constitution package is declared dead, and buried.

"If it's dead and buried, and I hope it will be, then there is no point having a referendum on something that's no longer alive. But if other countries intend to proceed with the ratification process, and if other countries give their people a say, it is inconceivable that the British people should not have a say. In these circumstances they should have a say," he declared.

Mr Sumberg argued that the adoption of a more flexible EU would enable those countries wishing for closer integration to move in that direction, while others could re-adopt more control over their own affairs.

He cited the example of the attempt by Brussels and some member states to force Britain to abandon its opt-out and accept the EU's working time directive limiting employees to a maximum 48 hour week. "Why is it necessary to do that? It should not be up to the EU to tell people in this country how long they can work. That's ridiculous. We should give much more power back to the nation state."