Bill Carmichael: Is this the best EU can do, Prime Minister?

As far as reform of the sclerotic, moribund institution that is European Union the answer appears to be yes, that’s all there is. This, I am afraid, is as good as it gets.

David Cameron announced that he is “happy to be judged” on his reform proposals, so let us compare what he originally promised with the deal revealed this week.

Cameron promised “proper, full-on treaty change” to restore Parliamentary sovereignty and repatriate powers from unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels to our elected representatives in Westminster.

He promised that EU citizens would have to find a job in the UK before moving here.

He promised that people coming into the UK would have to contribute for four years before qualifying for any in-work benefits and social housing.

He promised that child benefit would no longer be paid for children living abroad.

He promised comprehensive reform of the wicked Common Agricultural Policy that is designed to keep people in the third world in poverty.

He promised to limit the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice to stop it overruling UK criminal law and he promised a revision of the working time directive.

On each of these points, he has come up with a big, fat zero. A complete and utter failure.

Instead we have been treated to a series of carefully orchestrated “rows” with EU bureaucrats after which the Prime Minister has emerged triumphant as though he has actually gained some concessions, when clearly there are none.

Finally Cameron has arrived at precisely where we knew he would end up – arguing to stay in the EU at any cost. Who’d have thought it?

But what do these “victories” amount to?

Well, we have the “emergency brake” to limit benefits to EU migrants for up to four years. Rather than a complete ban, as Cameron wanted, the restrictions will be graduated and benefits will increase every year.

Crucially it is Brussels who will decide when to apply the brake and when to release it. Westminster has no say at all.

On child benefits, the cash will still be paid to children living abroad, but at different rates depending on the cost of living in the relevant countries. The result is an utterly farcical situation where we will have 28 different rates of child benefit. Do you think Whitehall’s computer systems will cope with that one?

We can also apparently issue a “red card” to block unwanted European legislation – but only if we can coordinate a series of simultaneous rebellions in the parliaments of 14 other nations. In other words, our once sovereign parliament has little power of its own.

Oh, and we won’t be forced to join the euro (as if!) and the EU is apparently going to cut red tape. Stop laughing at the back!

Either Cameron is lying to us, or he is deluding himself.

The great pity here is that this was a one-off chance to properly reform the EU and make it fit for purpose in the modern world.

The truth is that EU is dying and it doesn’t much matter whether we vote to leave or stay. If we go quickly, perhaps we can help put it out of its misery.

The debt crisis is still raging, and Greece looks likely to require yet more bailouts. Youth unemployment is at 50 per cent in much of southern Europe and the life chances of an entire generation have been sacrificed on the altar of the euro.

Meanwhile, 1.1 million migrants have entered Europe, with millions more to follow. The Schengen agreement is pretty much finished and the EU has absolutely no answers to the immigration crisis.

In other words both the common currency and the free movement of people – the two things that define the EU – are on their way out.

The EU bureaucrats just don’t recognise this as an existential crisis. Their instinct is to resist any reform, carry on as normal and offer the UK absolutely nothing.

As Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston said this week, if this is all they can offer us if we threaten to leave, what would it be like if we voted to stay?