@UKIP Leader in the Lords demands LESS scrutiny of the European Union

Lord Pearson of Rannoch - not
acting in good faith or just not as
clever as he thinks?

In a somewhat curious intervention today, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, leader of the UKIP peers, sought to amend the recommendations of the Lords Committee of Selection (it elect and propose to the House the names of the Members of Select Committees, the panel of Deputy Chairmen of Committees, and any other body referred to it by the Chairman of Committees), reducing the number of sub-committees of the European Union Committee from six to two.

Now, whilst one might not agree with all the findings of the six sub-committees (and I declare an interest here, as my wife currently chairs Sub-Committee D), the idea that one-third as many people could properly scrutinise all that comes out of Brussels, let alone find time to suggest alternatives or, in some cases, rejection, is pretty absurd.

There are proposals coming out of Brussels, on energy union, or the circular economy, on capital markets, which are hugely complex and have potentially significant impacts on the way our economy works. And you may not like that, especially if you're a UKIP supporter. On the other hand, you may see the benefits of working together with your neighbours, and want to make the proposals as effective as they can be. I assume that Malcolm Pearson is in the former category.

However, his position is bankrupt, in that he does not want to simply oppose the works of the European Union in an honourable manner, standing up on the floor of the chamber to oppose whatever proposal it is, he wants to destroy the mechanisms by which those who disagree with him, or who are open-minded on the subject, might recommend better solutions, ones that suit our country better. It is, I suggest, mischief-making of a childish kind.

He did offer another proposal, which was to ensure that the various EU committees have memberships split evenly between sceptics and others. He insults his fellow Peers by suggesting that they do not have the ability to critical examine the work of the European Union, nor that they wish to. Given that the scrutiny work of the House of Lords is widely respected as being amongst the most thorough in the Union, he might want to reflect on whether or not he means that.

Scrutiny of the European Union, and of the Government's response to it, is too important to be interfered with by knaves with ill intent. Lord Pearson of Rannoch's disingenuousness is an underhand attempt to weaken Britain's influence and he should be called on it.