British eurosceptics slam EU 'red card' proposal
Boris Johnson - Photo EC
(LONDON) - British eurosceptics including Prime Minister David Cameron's political ally, London mayor Boris Johnson, on Tuesday criticised reports of a proposed "red card" for national parliaments to block EU laws.
Johnson said he had "doubts" about the mooted system, adding that he believed there was "much, much more that needs to be done" on European Union reform.
"I think what would be better would be if we had a brake of our own that we were willing to use... That's what we should be able to do," he said on LBC radio.
A source in Cameron's Downing Street office said on Monday that draft proposals due to be issued by the European Commission later on Tuesday contained a "red card" system that would allow a group of 55 percent of the EU's parliaments to stop or change EU laws.
The EU's current "yellow card" system -- using a term taken from football disciplinary infractions -- only allows parliaments to demand an explanation of laws from Brussels.
The proposal is part of Cameron's renegotiation of the conditions of Britain's membership ahead of a planned referendum on whether it will leave or remain in the bloc.
Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP), said the notion that the proposal could be considered a victory was "frankly ludicrous".
"Essentially what we have is almost the current situation at the Council of Ministers where a majority can block new legislation," he said.
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the "Vote Leave" campaign group, said the government's demands from the EU were "trivial".
"These gimmicks have been ignored by the EU before and will be ignored again as they will not be in the EU treaty," he said in a statement.
"If the public want parliament to have the power to block damaging EU laws then the only safe option is to Vote Leave," he added.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a lawmaker and member of Conservatives for Britain, told BBC radio: "I was hoping to see something much more confident and focused on what Britain needs".
The system would mean "16 countries have got to gang together against whatever the new idea is in order for it to be stopped," she said.
"We are not seeing anything that allows us to take control of our country so I think I will be ending up voting to leave".