Conservative Party annual conference 2009: William Hague speech

Conservative Party annual conference 2009: William Hague speech; Accountability also means that the rights and powers of the British people should not be diluted or given away without their explicit consent. Let us be clear what we are dealing with and let no one ever forget, whenever a European referendum is discussed; Labour and the Liberal Democrats solemnly promised a referendum and then shamefully broke that promise. It is right that we voted for a referendum and right that we still want to hold one, and it is right, as I have made clear before, that a Conservative Government will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that if any future government proposes to transfer new competences or areas of power to Brussels a referendum of the British people will be required by law.And there is, of course, one additional change we will bring to parliamentary proceedings. Scotland now has its own parliament. We are committed to its success, and as we have all seen today in Annabel Goldie we have a highly effective leader working hard for the people of Scotland. Now a Conservative Government will complete the devolution settlement by ensuring that when legislation at Westminster affects only England, or only England and Wales, then the English, or English and Welsh MPs will have a veto on its contents.A Conservative Government will make it easier for our citizens to take part in democracy, in keeping with the spirit of our age. We will publish online every item of government spending over £25,000 enabling the public to see in detail how their money is spent. We will require all police forces to publish their crime statistics online on a monthly basis. And now we will begin a consultation on a new and radical policy to throw open the doors of parliament by introducing into the passage of legislation a public reading stage, using modern technology to allow the public to give their comments on the details of proposed new laws before those details are settled. Our ...