EU sneaks in charter by back door

The Telegraph
Oct. 16, 2005

A controversial European human rights programme is being imposed on Britain by the back door, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

European Commission documents show that all new proposed legislation from Brussels will incorporate the Charter of Fundamental Rights - despite it having been rejected by voters. Last night Liam Fox, the shadow foreign secretary, wrote to Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, demanding an urgent explanation for MPs. The charter, a hotch-potch of guarantees, including the right to strike, was a key section of the European Constitution rejected this year by French and Dutch voters.

After the votes, the consititution was declared "dead in the water", and a planned referendum in Britain was scrapped. However, the European Commission document COM (2005) 172 - seen by The Sunday Telegraph - sets out a framework for "ensuring that the charter is properly implemented".

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Conservative MEP, said: "This is exactly what we were promised would not happen - bits of the constitution brought in by the back door."