David Cameron
David Cameron promised, during the leadership election, to leave the EPP (European People’s Party). To avoid any risk that he may renege on this promise, Daniel Hannan MEP suggests we write to William Hague (haguew@parliament.uk), David Cameron (camerond@parliament.uk) and Timothy Kirkhope (tkirkhope@europarl.eu.int).
Please read Daniel Hannan’s article.
Here’s what I have sent:
Dear Mr Hague
I am sure you have received many other similar messages so I shall keep this brief.
I’m sure you know that the majority of Conservatives are against the EU’s march towards a federal state; I’m sure you know that the majority of Britons, regardless of political affiliation, are against that too. However, I still feel it prudent to let you know that we members of the party wholeheartedly support the policy of leaving the EPP and welcome the removal of any ambiguity over whether the party’s “In Europe but not run by Europe” could actually be trusted.
I hope Kenneth Clarke’s outspoken position on this matter is not given too much credence.
Yours sincerely
Original post made at 16:18 on 16 December 2005
Update
David Cameron’s office replied already:
Thank you so much for copying your email to William Hague to David Cameron - he’s asked me to thank you and to say that he appreciated what you had to say enormously.
David Cameron has made clear that it is his firm policy that the Conservative Party under his leadership will not remain a member of the European Peoples Party-European Democrats Group (EPP-ED) in the European Parliament, and will aim to form a new grouping which reflects more closely our views on the way forward for Europe.
The Conservative Party has a fundamentally different approach on the key institutional and constitutional questions relating to the future direction of the European Union, and it is natural that we should wish to ally ourselves with parties which share that view. But we intend to maintain close relations with other centre-right parties with which we agree on much, but not on these issues.
David Cameron has asked the new Shadow Foreign Secretary to take forward this process, with appropriate consultation of all involved. In seeking a new alignment within the European Parliament, the Conservative Party will aim to continue to work closely with fellow centre-right parties in the European Parliament on the many issues on which we agree.
Many thanks again for writing.
December 16th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
[…] I have written, as requested, to William Hague MP and copied in David Cameron MP and Timothy Kirkhope MEP. I hope you will join me in doing so. A copy of my e-mail can be found here. […]
December 17th, 2005 at 4:15 pm
[…] That the Liberal Democrats support a federal EU while the Tories do not represents a significant ideological differentiator that will remain regardless of the economic movements of the Tories and the Liberal Democrats between now and the next General Election. David Cameron’s first few actions have been bravely eurosceptic and have moved the Parliamentary party even further towards the position held by the membership and electorate. […]
January 14th, 2006 at 8:04 am
The headline on the Daily Telegraph story “Cameron threat to sack pro-Euro Tory MEPs” (January 13) might give the impression that I am in favour of Britain joining the Euro. I am not. I am in favour of the association with the majority Christian Democrat/Conservative EPP Group in the European Parliament which I negotiated with William Hague in 1999. According to press reports, David Cameron wants to end this link with Europe’s centre while moving there at home.
The link with the EPP gives us real throw-weight, without which I could not have removed the discredited Commissioners in 1999, and also key chairmanships such as my election-monitoring mission to Palestine next week. We are completely free to follow the manifesto on which we were elected, in which Michael Howard committed us to the EPP link until 2009.
Also, the story suggests that only a quarter of Tory MEPs want to remain in the alliance with the EPP. The reverse is the case. By re-electing Timothy Kirkhope as leader of the delegation by 18 votes to seven - he had re-timed his election to coincide with David Cameron’s to give him a mandate to negotiate our continued alliance with the EPP - there is a clear majority for the alliance to which both Timothy and I committed ourselves at the Conservative Yorkshire region AGM last September.
The fact is that the ‘H’ block in our delegation, led by Telegraph leader-writer Dan Hannan MEP and including Roger Helmer MEP (from whom Timothy has removed the Whip) have obsessively worked on London to this end as part of their ‘Britain out’ strategy since their election in 1999. I wish they had put as much effort into representing their constituents in areas where the European Parliament actually does have decisive powers.
Mr Edward McMillan-Scott MEP (Yorkshire & Humber, Cons)
Vice President, European Parliament
Leader of the Conservative MEPs 1997 - 2001
January 14th, 2006 at 8:51 am
[…] Read his post here […]