Hello, I'm Kate Stanway. It's May 2016 and we're in the Algarve, Portugal for our annual
holiday and by we I mean my husband Roger and myself. He's behind the camera. We do
love travelling in Europe and we love to meet and engage with people of different nationalities
even though their English is normally a lot better than our understanding of their language
but we do try. This video however is not meant to be a travelogue with not long to go until the
EU referendum. We wanted to draw some threads together specifically with regard to our UK
constitutional history. This video is part of our Magna Carta history and heritage series
that we began in 2015. We focused on the 800th anniversary of the ceiling of the Magna Carta
at Runnymede. After visiting that historic site by the Thames in June 2015 and researching further
we affirm that our constitutional heritage is deeply rooted in Christianity and its values
that the Magna Carta which was a significant landmark in safeguarding freedom from tyrannical
rule and abuse of power also undergirded our parliamentary democracy and the rule of law
based on our historical acknowledgement of a higher power than mere humanity.
This history has shaped our government and institutions as a nation state. We have a
constitutional Christian monarchy. 2016 is also a very important year for the United Kingdom.
Our own monarchs enjoyed a long and blessed reign and celebrates an important birthday
but it's also the year in which the UK will decide, truly democratically we hope, whether she
wants to remain wedded to the European Union and its vision and values for richer for poorer,
for better for worse, in sickness or in health and it's because so many of our friends and
wider acquaintances still do not feel that they have enough information to know how to make such
an important decision that we wanted to be of help. So in August last year we decided to go on
a voyage of discovery by air rather than sea to Brussels to find out for ourselves what remaining
in Europe might mean if the British people did vote to remain in the forthcoming referendum.
As we went we were very conscious of the challenges facing Europe at this time in its history. Arriving
at Brussels airport last year was a peaceful affair for this was six months before it's scarring by
As we acclimatized to another European country and we loved to travel in Europe
we became aware step by step of both similarities and differences. We chosen a hotel in the European
quarter where the modern steel, glass and concrete buildings of the EU institutions
are juxtaposed with some very traditional Belgian streets and small businesses and homes.
In fact Schumann Metro and its immediate surroundings were undergoing significant
building and roadworks which seemed to point to something very much under construction,
anticipating a new phase in the development of this growing community of nations perhaps.
Our first real port of call was the towering EU Parliament complex which powerfully rises
above a nearby park. Outside a rather insignificant entrance people were gathered waiting waiting
for timed tickets for a tour of the building to see the hemicycle as the MEP's Hall of Assembly is
called. While waiting we took the opportunity for a walkabout outside noting the many national flags
representing the many nations that now comprise the union. A curious sculpture of a woman that
seemed to have some underlying meaning but what? For this artwork seemed to tell a story. The euros
held high while this woman, is she Europe, is standing on the heads and bodies of some men.
Something is clearly under her feet. I have since discovered that the sculptress intended a
representation of a Greek myth. Europa, a goddess kidnapped by Zeus, is emerging from a spiral
of male and female bodies. If this is intended to represent the nature of Europe then I'll let the
imagery speak for itself. Our time came for the tour inside. Audio visual guides in multiple
languages were available and were very good. Once again the many national flags were on display
reminding us that the membership of this union is diverse indeed. How is it possible to have a
common identity and vision with so many different cultures I wondered? Union surely means something
more than a collective of different national entities. The vision and goals have been shaped
and reshaped over more than half a century but even at a first glance the sheer size of this
Brussels parliament told me that this is about major political union rather than economic
and national cooperation. So who is controlling this union? Is it these MEPs representing the
different nations? Actually I should know the answer to this as I lectured in constitutional law
in both the 1970s and the 1990s and as I looked around that vast and empty chamber in August 2015
I was reminded that this is not a democratic parliament in the way that our nation understands
it. Here the MEPs are grouped into uncomfortably contrived affiliations that are meant to resemble
rather than represent their national parties. This is primarily a discussion chamber rather
than a legislative body as the main initiator of European legislation is historically the
unelected commission. In fact it's very different to what we Brits understand as a parliament.
Our parliament, the legislative organ of our national government, is built on entirely
different constitutional foundations and that's where Magna Carta comes in. Our historic freedoms,
democracy and rule of law have a very different background to most if not all of the nations
than are now part of the EU. As we look round this hemicycle with its huge infrastructure
of interpreters boxes I remember the debates in the 1970s about whether joining the EEC
would cause a loss of sovereignty in our own UK parliament. Any constitutional commentators
reminded us then that we were going into a different system and as we know from the plethora
of regulations and directives from the EU that we must obey our own ability to change our own laws
freely is now fundamentally restricted by our EU membership and cannot be restored unless we
distance ourselves from the ever closer union that's planned for a federal Europe.
Today we stand to lose a constitutional heritage of around a thousand years and to become even more
subsumed into a type of constitutional and legislative framework that is yes understood
and embraced by continental Europe but is a poor fit for the British Isles with our unique history.
When I started this piece I didn't realise quite how deeply I care about our heritage
but when freedoms and democracy have been fought for over centuries specifically remembering Magna
Carter and the importance of standing against authoritarian rule then to contemplate a future
of submission to powers and systems and opinions not under our own control even though some of those
are good is what brought me to the way out of this Brussels parliament but our visit to Brussels
didn't end here. We wanted to explore further to know more about the vision and values of the EU
so that we could properly consider whether we would be better in or out so we continued our
exploration by going on to the nearby Parliamentarium. The Parliamentarium is a wonderful place for
this type of exploration there are so many creative inventive and informative exhibits.
Here the EU structures are explained there's another enormous parliament building in Strasbourg
which is the official seat with its unfinished tower that said to represent a restoration of
the tower of Babel then there's the Council of Europe the leaders of the member states
and the Commission now 28 commissioners appointed by each member state both these are also key
organs of EU government not to mention the European Court of Justice which operates an
illegal system quite unlike the British model and yet has declared supremacy over the decisions of
our courts the ECJ has the important function of ensuring that European law is interpreted and
applied in the same way in every member state the judges are appointed by the member states.
We didn't visit the ECJ in August 2015 as it's in Luxembourg but this judicial institution of
the European Union is not without its criticisms one of these is a serious threat of government by
judges as the ECJ makes increasingly far-reaching decisions which some see as overstepping its powers.
The ECJ has even made decisions whether or no specific treaty provisions on the basis that
they're in line with its general objectives and it sees itself as using its judicial powers
to drive the integration process in the union so how can the use of its powers be challenged or
checked does this line up with the Magna Carta concept of the rule of law in our own nation.
We moved on in the parliamentarium to explore the vision for a united Europe. It all began with
economic and political cooperation for the avoidance of conflict in a continent scarred by two 20th
century wars. During the lifetime of one generation Europe has twice been the centre of a world
conflict whose chief cause was the existence of 30 sovereign states in Europe. It is a most urgent
task to end this international anarchy by creating a European federal union and this was said at a
Geneva conference of resistance fighters on the 20th of May 1944.
Different nations naturally had subtly different agendas and values
and there were many different worldviews, faiths and languages to accommodate.
There was good intent, idealism and a perhaps utopian vision that the destiny of mankind
is indivisible. This also fostered a greater vision of federalism in which nation states or
parts of them simply become regions of the main entity. It appears that the EU is now well advanced
in the regionalisation process. Do we understand the implications of this? I certainly don't.
There was a very informative timeline showing the growth of the union and charting the major
treaties. We signed up to the European economic community in 1973. Yet the words economic and
community were successively dropped over the following decades. The legal description now
is simply the European Union. Winston Churchill is quoted in 1948 when he indicated that a
United States of continental Europe was important for peace. But that vision was some 70 years ago
and he saw Britain's role not as a member of such a union but rather as a joint sponsor of Europe
with America. Today there are 28 member states in Europe grappling with issues like the free
movement of goods, capital services and people and trying to get democratic agreement and extending
the vision to the control of the environment, human rights and foreign policy. Now the mantra
becomes unity and diversity. But exactly how do 28 nations and accounting truly have one vision?
I wonder how many people really understood the bigger European vision and the nature of its
government when we signed up to being part of the common market all those years ago. I didn't.
Is that true democracy? Likewise how many people today really understand what we might be signing
away on the 23rd of June this year? Back to the exhibits in the parliamentarium. A creative
interactive exhibit is designed to give insight into different countries and cities across the
EU. It was great fun. And then an impressive surround screen
presentation on the working of the EU to bring it more alive.
So how exactly does the European Parliament work? Let's take a look behind the scenes.
The president addresses the chamber of his native land shots as to all members.
That is a core principle of this parliament.
But how do the members understand each other if parliament's work is conducted in so many different
languages? Next we had an opportunity to see and hear from different individuals in different
member states talking about their experience of the EU working in their lives. All apparently
very positive. But for me it was all too utopian. Greece came to mind. We are fully aware that this
is a program that is not going to be easy. It is not going to be easy on great citizens.
Despite the efforts that have been made and will continue to be made to protect the weakest in
society. We are absolutely convinced that this is a necessary program and we will be submitting
tomorrow to the great parliament draft legislation which will include the entire program over this
three year period as well as the specific measures for reduction in wages in the public sector
in pensions and increasing direct taxation which will have an immediate effect.
And then I wondered about freedom which we Brit value very highly. Remember Magna Carta.
How free are the individual member states once they have committed to this ever closer union?
The EU is not very good at taking no for an answer. This is underscored by repeating or
circumventing referendums when negative answers from the electorate of certain member states
was not the desired outcome. The draft EU constitution in 2003 was rejected by some nations.
While it was acknowledged that the union was failing to inspire people, nevertheless this
rejection was ultimately circumvented by the Lisbon Treaty. Treaties do not need the electorate's
approval. It has to be said that there have been changes giving more legislative powers to the
European parliament in the last decade so that it provides a better check on the executive powers
of the council and commission and also to give the ordinary citizen rights of challenge and
complaint. But all this is set in the context of a larger and now more federally minded European
union with its own power agenda. So when the opportunity came to make a personal comment,
I found myself only able to support a cooperative enterprise between member states
rather than a union. Having looked at the excellent exhibits, I can see that the values and vision
from nation to nation are very different and for me this does not make for union.
As we left the parliamentarian I was able to acknowledge that it was a very good exhibition
but it hadn't convinced me to remain part of brand Europe. Perhaps our next visits would change my
mind. And so we made our way to the commission building. It's an enormous uniform edifice that
frankly speaks of power we couldn't go inside. And this is the powerhouse of the EU. This comprises
28 representatives of the nation states plus a president who are likely to be senior politicians
who owe their allegiance to Europe and its treaties and are not directly elected by nor
represent the citizens of each member state. This is effectively the cabinet government of the EU
and has a key role in lawmaking. And like our common law system, Europe is rule based. Rules and
regulations are the stuff of European law and these commissioners are backed by some 23,000
civil servants who are focused on producing, implementing and enforcing detailed legislation
to deal with even the minutiae of daily life. Unity and diversity seems like a tall order here. The
commission is also responsible for negotiating trade deals with other nations and has great
political power in this area. For example the controversial TTIP deal with the USA which was
being maneuvered behind the scenes but could have far-reaching effects. I'm continuing to feel
that freedom whether individual or national is at the mercy of that great machine in Brussels.
There's power there to eradicate nation states in the drive for bigger and better.
So from the rather rarefied and stuffy air of the Brussels European quarter, we went off to get a
breath of fresh air in real Brussels to the heart of the city where people were going about their
lives enjoying a fine day in summer. Here we could reflect on the reality of being part of the
European scene taking in the sights and sounds and smells of the city centre which is clearly
attractive to tourists like us. It's great. We love that feeling of belonging to something new
and different. If only the EU could be like this, celebrating a common desire to share life
rather than being regulated out of existence. We love Brussels.
And in that more uplifted spirit, we travelled out of the city centre to visit the tourist
attractions of the Atomium and Mini Europe. Getting to the top of the Atomium proved to be
an endurance test. The queues were massive. Still not sure whether the high view was worth the
wait but it did give some new perspectives. And so we came down to ground level at Mini Europe
which is a new twist on a model village where the many nations of the EU are reduced to some
notable characteristics and features and give a visual flavour of the variety of cultures
that the union tries to meld together. A little dated in places but fun nevertheless.
The display boards were enlightening. They spoke about the shared and not so shared values coming
from European history. Britain was briefly credited with the invention of parliamentary
democracy but then it read, the French Revolution was to add the principle of equality to this
democracy. It brought Napoleon to power. Whilst Napoleon was no democrat, he was to convey
throughout Europe a series of values such as the people's desire for power, the organisation of
public life and the Napoleonic Code. Numerous countries would copy the French. So this is
what was imported into continental European constitutions and law that's so incompatible
with our own. The Napoleonic influence is evident elsewhere in Mini Europe, emphasising Europe's
legacy from the French Revolution. From democracy to the display board on religion,
the Christian heritage of Europe is positively acknowledged. It says Christianity shaped Europe
but then it's set alongside the Renaissance and the principle of equality from the French Revolution
as influences on social thinking. The commission building is depicted to explain that the EU
adopts a secular multicultural approach and specifically refers to the French concept of
laicite where religion is kept out of public life. Non-theistic approaches to government
are now preferred. This is declared. Secularity designates the principle of separation
of church and state as well as the nature of the institutions that comply with this principle.
In this case, religion is the responsibility of individuals. This principle respects everyone's
conviction. Secularity is not yet integrated in all European countries, whether it be in the
constitution or in the state's daily management. This vision for integration is all in the interests
of establishing a union for maintaining peace as visitors to Mini Europe are reminded of the
effects of war in Europe. Yet there was recent conflict over the drafting of the failed EU
constitution. Secularists strove to write all reference to Europe's Christian heritage out
while others wanted to clearly mention God and the importance of Christianity in any
in any foundational document, a clash of worldviews and values.
Secularity and multiculturalism are the official line.
I'm remembering that the aim is to integrate nations on this basis. So in spite of declarations
to the contrary, it appears to me that Europe is writing individual states, traditions and
identities out and bringing a more uniform approach in, which raises a big question mark over the
future of our constitutional Christian monarchy. And it seems that if we say yes to Europe, a more
humanistic, atheistic worldview is now the favored neutral approach. But if you think about it,
atheism is no more neutral than theism. As we continued our tour of Mini Europe,
we enjoyed the mix of national anthems and depictions of different states. There was a lot
to take in. But as we wandered through, we also thought a lot about the more secular vision of
Europe, modeling itself on the French constitution. This more atheistic approach by the European
establishment is steadily affecting our national life. Our own historically Judeo-Christian based
values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, which we uncovered as we began our videos on
Magna Carta, are being inexorably reshaped by being in a form of marriage with Europe.
Interestingly, at the end of the tour, a model of a smoking volcano doesn't feel out of place.
As we said goodbye to Mini Europe, we processed the different messages we'd picked up.
The final one on a poster in the way out. Together we play better. Agreed, but harmony is never
forced. We can play together without being wedded to a union.
And so from Brussels in August 2015, back to Portugal in May 2016,
as I climb the steps to the small village church that's proudly celebrating its 500th anniversary,
we're reminded again of the centuries old European Christian heritage. And our timing
is unexpected, but perfect. A wedding. For us and for the people of Europe, national identity,
history and heritage are important indeed. They're not cheap commodities to be traded in
the common market. What we choose to be wedded to can change everything.
On the 23rd of June, as the British people make their mark, may they remember that it's
important that we retain our national history and heritage and do not trade it for a European
super state. As the guests finally leave this Portuguese village church, we leave you to draw
conclusions of your own. The real driving force of the EU now does appear to be political union,
and so often we don't realize either the price or the value of freedom. Heritage is valuable.
Magna Carta was a landmark in British constitutional history and has been for 800 years.
Will it remain so?
