towards a better Europe Leading Issues - October to December, 2003 The British military are part of the government's civil service, ready to do the bidding of a bad government or fanatical Prime Minister. The Iraqi "venture" is a warning to the people of Britain, having lead to the arbitrary killing of over 50 young Britains and thousands of innocents in Iraq. But it does not have to be like this. The choice rests with the British people.  Why there should be conscientious support as well as objection There is increasing unease in London, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, of an emerging threat to basic freedoms represented by several parts of the proposed European Constitution, as well as serious omissions. To claim otherwise would be naive or dishonest.  Keeping these Isles free The British government's policy proposal in the form of the Criminal Justice Bill, threatens to intensify, and make more harmful, the likely negative effects of the European Constitution on the population of the United Kingdom. The worrying overlap of the European Constitution and this Bill relates to a serious erosion of the role of trial by jury.  An unjust and criminal bill There is also a more than obvious decline in the performance and image of the European Commission on matters relating to financial corruption, its ability to ignore serious human rights abuse and the implementation of a poorly thought out administrative reform. This Commission is a Commission in crisis and it might not survive its term. This is notable given the fact that the proposed European Constitution maintains the Commission's role as the only body with a monopoly on initiating European legislation.  The continuing decline and fall of the European Commisssion The last, more a local issue, is the rapid decline in the standing of the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, both at home and abroad. This is not a party issue but more an issue of how politicians should not behave.  What Tony Blair does not understand