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		Letter to the Editor Derby Evening Telegraph - Monday 31st January 2005 Dear Sir, Labour MEP Richard Corbett (letters 22/1) crosses the line between exaggeration and downright lies when claims that the EU Constitution "does nothing more than clarify decision-making and add democratic safeguards". As everyone in Brussels knows, and proudly admits, the Constitution represents a huge new step in integration. It explicitly establishes the supremacy of EU law over British law. It passes sweeping new powers to Brussels in a broad range of areas, including foreign affairs, defence, immigration, economic policy, energy and transport. It also passes huge powers from elected politicians to unaccountable judges. Both the Constitution itself, and the appended "Charter of Fundamental Rights", are so vaguely and loosely worded that we simply shall not know what they mean until the European Court of Justice rules on them. And the court is notoriously political, activist and pro-Brussels. We have seen in recent days how Labour has tried to cover up the huge transfers of power on asylum and immigration which it has made (and made without most Labour MPs even knowing about it). Corbett is trying the same trick with the Constitution -- but it won't work. Corbett refers to my "isolated position". But in Strasbourg on January 12th, I was with the majority of British MEPs voting against Corbett's report on the Constitution. And back in the UK I am with the 65% or so of the British people who in opinion polls rightly oppose the Constitution. That's an odd kind of isolation. Yours faithfully, Roger Helmer MEP