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There are many problems with the UK and the new EU "constitution". The fact that the new document is now called the Lisbon Treaty is a misnomer as the majority of the original constitution, about which many people within Europe have difficulties accepting, is still within this treaty. There are many things which normally would be associated with the forming of a new country, are not officially mentioned in the treaty but are in some instances already in existence so belying the official records.

For example, there is an EU flag already in existence and it will remain even after the treaty. At present, many English council offices are determined to fly it rather than the English St George's flag, or even the flag of the UK. There have been objections in the past but these have been ignored, and it is becoming clear that local government as well as central government is determined to have everyone showing loyalty to the EU flag in preference to that of the UK Yet the flag is not mentioned at all in the Lisbon Treaty, and it seems people in the European Commission are relying instead on past practice encouraging the EU flag to continue being flown. There is even a law in the UK which forbids flags being flown which are not part of a national body. The EU is not a nation - not yet anyway - but everyone ignores this and continues to fly the European flag, even including it on our car registration as well as our passports.

But how has this treaty come about? Originally, in 1973, there was a referendum of the UK people about whether or not they should remain in the European Economic Community. This was agreed, because the government of the day stated it would bring down prices, ensure that everyone who created food within the EEC would get a fair price for their produce and this was only a trade agreement. Well, over the years, the EEC changed its name to the EC (European Community), then the EU (European Union), all changes being ratified by the UK government without any permission from the people of the UK, and if the EU Commission had its way the new "constitution" would have turned this into one country, the Federation of European States. Fortunately for all within the EU, this latter constitution was rejected by some of the countries via referenda, and because it had been agreed that if one country said no, the constitution was defeated.

This should have been the end of the matter, but then a new document was prepared, now called the Lisbon Treaty, and it has been

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