LETTER: Keith Joseph's legacy to Thatcher

From Mr John Davies

Sir: Two sentences in Baroness Thatcher's Keith Joseph Memorial lecture reveal the self-delusion at the heart of Euroscepticism. She referred to the European Court as "undermining our judicial system". It is not undermining it. It is part of it and it was a Conservative government of which Lady Thatcher was a member that made it so.

She also spoke of curbing the powers of the courts by an amendment of the European Communities Act. While we remain a member of the European Union, Parliament does not have the necessary authority. The powers of the court are derived from the treaty, which can be amended only by the unanimous agreement of the members.

It would, of course, be possible to remove the authority of the court completely by repealing the act and leaving the union, but I doubt if any businessmen in the audience would have been happy to hear her suggest that.

Yours faithfully,

John Davies

Bookham, Surrey