FRODSHAM Borough Councillor Andrew Dawson has been appointed to serve as one of 18 UK Representatives at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities at the Council of Europe.
He has recently returned after spending a week in Strasbourg.
Cllr Dawson said: “It is an honour to represent the UK abroad. The Council of Europe is all about embedding democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout Europe. In the context it was wonderful to be able to point to our experience in Frodsham and in the wider Borough. I participated in several debates ranging including gender equality and the assessment of the UK’s compliance with the European Social Charter. When discussing the Social Charter I had a sharp exchange of views with a Spanish Law Professor who believed the UK’s record on certain social rights was the equivalent of Turkey and the Ukraine.
“Having given him my views about Parliamentary Sovereignty and our common law legal system I pointed out that 3.6 million EU workers had come to Britain to enjoy our liberal labour market. They hadn’t come to the UK for the weather! I also pointed out to him that the European Trade Union Institute has recognised that the right to strike in the UK is freer than in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria to name but a few.
“It was also interesting to see how, without being complacent, we are in advance of our continental friends in things like both genders fully participating in politics. The Council of Europe is looking to ensure a minimum of 40% of political representatives are female. Since 2011 Frodsham Town Council has been gender balanced – and 37% of Councillors on CWaC are female. Whilst we still have a way to go, we are way ahead of many other European countries in this.
“One of the things that struck me most, though, was that our approach to embedding democracy and the rule of law is different to our European colleagues. For us Parliament is Sovereign and we look to Parliament to defend our rights. For our European colleagues they look more to international conventions, treaties and their own written constitutions. We both aim to end up in the same place – but we do get there by different routes,” added Andrew.
The Council of Europe was established by Winston Churchill after World War II to embed respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law .
The Council of Europe covers all of Europe and includes 19 non-EU member states like Russia, Turkey and Ukraine as well as the 28 EU members.
