... unless, of course, you include all the other politicians – and leader writers. However, in the serried ranks of stupidity, what comes storming to the front today is the administration's promise of a "referendum lock" on new EU powers, the legislation for which is to be introduced today.
This, of course, is a consolation prize for the Tories reneging on their promise of a referendum on Lisbon. For once, though, William aka "Bill" Cash has got it right, describing it as "just milk and water". It is "a million miles away from what is required," he says.
The terminal flaw in the initiative is that its authors fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the EU and how it works. Thus, they blather about requiring a referendum whenever there is a proposed transfer of power, in which context we are promised a referendum in the event of another treaty.
Where the understanding fails is that the treaties are more in the nature of enabling acts, which hand over rights to make legislation in particular policy areas, or "competences". The actual transfers of power come when the EU exercises those rights and actually makes the legislation, be it regulations or directives or whatever.
Thus, "lock" or not, the transfer of powers will continue regardless, most often with the approval of the Tories who are as a matter of policy wholly supportive of the "project". But then, they have never understood the EU – and never will. Their corporate stupidity is famous throughout the land, and it is not going to change now.
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