Will EU regulations change if MLP wins?

I considered Lino Spiteri's article 'Irony of Labour's lost decade' (The Sunday Times, July 10) as vindication of his stand on EU membership when he was still a Labour minister.

Mr Spiteri admits that the vote of the majority of Labour delegates "was not a song for Europe" or "a conversion to the European cause". He was also right when he wrote: "The careful 'we' was ironic in itself. Were the vote to reflect how the party felt, rejection of the Constitutional Treaty would have been more likely."

Not only "likely" but a certainty, since the vast majority of Labour voters have already expressed their opposition to the EU's Constitution as shown by Xarabank's latest opinion poll.

I found it rather strange that Mr Spiteri considered the delegates' vote as their heartfelt desire and reaction in order that the MLP win the next general election - as they were constantly led to believe on Super One - but did not even spare a thought to what could be the reaction of the many thousands of Labour voters who saw the 'Yes' vote in parliament as capitulation by the MLP to all it stood for in the past, namely the interest of Malta and the Maltese people.

Perhaps Mr Spiteri will dedicate a future article to explaining how Labour's pre-election credo, that there were many more disadvantages than advantages for Malta as a member state, would change to more advantages than disadvantages for our country in the EU if Labour wins the next general election.

Will the EU change its burdensome and very costly regulations to please the Maltese Labour government? Will Malta's 'Accession Treaty' - that "stinking packet" ("pakkett jinten") as Dr Joe Brincat continuously described it prior to the referendum and general election, change into a "packet of sweet odours" just because Dr Alfred Sant replaces Dr Lawrence Gonzi as Prime Minister?

Of course I believe strongly that Dr Sant would make an enormous difference on how local issues are tackled. This is why I will still vote Labour, despite my great disillusionment on Labour's present EU policy. But on EU matters I cannot foresee any difference. We will still have to do what the EU dictates, as indeed we used to say up to two and half years ago !

Alas, the heaviest burdens of membership contained in that "stinking packet" still have to hit us, as the various "transitional periods" or "derogations" come to a close. If Labour wins - and I sincerely hope it will - the Labour government will have to face the full brunt of membership. I wonder what Mr Spiteri may say then, when this happens.

And, by the way, why had no one, including Mr Spiteri, if I remember correctly, questioned the PN's democratic credentials way back in 1996, when the PN held on to its own policy and did not accept "partnership" according to the "people's verdict"?

I do not blame them. They had "accepted the people's verdict" when they went to parliament and sat on the Opposition benches. An Opposition is not expected to change its own policy - if it genuinely believed in it - simply because it loses an election.

What it must do is work harder to convince the majority of voters next time round, that its policy is the best one for the country.

There is no doubt today that Labour's pre-election policy would have gained the support of the majority of voters today.