This week the Prime Minister announced that, if a Conservative Government is elected in 2015, he will negotiate a new settlement in the European Union and hold an in-out referendum. The Conservatives are now setting out a clear choice for the British people as Labour has said that the people dont need to have a voice or role in our future in Europe.
With the ongoing Eurozone crisis, the European Union is changing. These changes are raising a series of questions about the future of the EU and Britain’s place within it.
David Cameron believes we need to be in the single market, not just selling goods to Europe, but with a say in what its rules are. Given that public disillusionment with the EU is at an all-time high and people feel that it is heading in a direction that they never signed up to, democratic consent for the EU in Britain is wafer thin. So the Conservatives want to negotiate a new settlement in Europe. One that is focused on competitiveness, fairness and respect for national democracies, and one that allows powers to flow back to Member States.
As the Conservatives want fresh
consent from the British people for this new settlement in Europe, the Conservative Manifesto for 2015 will commit to negotiating this new settlement in the next Parliament. The British people will then be able to decide, in an in-out referendum, whether they want to remain in the EU on these new terms or come out. This negotiation and the referendum will take place within the first half of the next Parliament.
You can read the Prime Minister's speech in full
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/560654/cameron-europe-transcript.pdf
What a complete load of tosh, the Conservatives are running scared of UKIP.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it we already have a democratic process to take us out of europe and that is a general election. I am pro european but I do acknowledge that if people want us out of europe they vote UKIP.
ReplyDeleteSo tell me Tony, since when have the Labour Party had the authority to dictate what is Conservative Policy and what the Conservative Membership and voters want. Instead of writing such drivel, perhaps you would explain how Balls proposes to reign in the out of control expenditure following Brown flashing the Country's credit cards, and please don't blame it all on the bankers again. You appear to have forgotten that we are as good as broke.
ReplyDeleteJust one other insignificant little question. What are your proposals to control the thousands of Bulgarian and Romanian gypsies due to reach our shores in a years time, courtesy of your Gordon's open door policy. Can our society support any more financial migrants and should we lock up our daughters.
"and voters want". Annon you must be having a laugh it was not so long ago the majority of Conservatives MP's voted against a referendum in Parliament. This resulted in a surge in UKIP support and out came the Conservative calculators and they realized they are going to get slaughtered in the next general election due to the split vote. I think it UKIP that is now dictating Conservative policy.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I agree with the speech, there are far more important things facing the UK than our jitters over the EU.
ReplyDeleteJames I do agree there are more important things facing the UK. But do you think think the speech is a bit premature considering that the general election is two years away and a lot could happen in Europe between then and now.Conservative strategy normally is to make this type of announcement months before a general election and ride on the momentum. This is more about the rise of UKIP and the discontent simmering among the Tory right.
ReplyDeleteTony, UKIP are mere opportunists. I note that you haven't commented on the fact that the Country is broke courtesy of Brown, or the gypsies that your party have invited to come and share our already overstretched health service.
ReplyDeleteOf course Tony. Even accepting the point that its about setting out a firm line for Europe, that can be done without all the drama of the speech he made. The question is whether down the line, that speech was enough for the Party to stick with him. Given this has been such a long-running problem, Im not convinced.
ReplyDeleteJames, you say this has been such a long running problem but for whom ? The country or the Conservative Party.
DeleteConsidering the major players in all of this are the national newspapers and there is so much information being taken out of context I think you are right, this is a drama but the trouble is it can lead to disastrous consequences.
It's Labourites such as Tony who are running scared since Red Ed has firmly positioned himself and his comrades on the wrong side of the argument.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I been in politics a long time and I thought I would never see the day when four letters from the alphabet could cause so much mayhem in the Conservative Party that they have to change policy, namely U K I P.
DeleteTony, for someone who has been in politics a long time you are being extremely blinkered in your vision. The scepticism on the EU is widespread and just as prevalent amongst working class traditional Labour voters as with right wing Tories.
DeleteYou evidently missed question time Thursday before last where every utterance by Nigel Farage was greeted with spontaneous applause by the audience whilst the more pro-European utterances of the main party panel members were greeted with a deafening silence. Add the lady from Boston who got rapturous applause for her comments about her little market town being over run and I would suggest Labour has just as big, if not bigger, problems with the UKIP message as the Conservatives.
Even senior Labour figures, far more experienced than you, are questioning the wisdom of Ed Milliband's swift rejection of a referendum. It is certainly against the public mood. In essence, the country is in a mess, our relationship with the EU certainly needs to be examined but, overall, we need inspired leadership. Sadly I do not see that coming from Cameron, Glegg or Milliband.
Tom,
DeleteA room full of people giving rapturous applause to whoever is hardly a measure of endorsement of any political view point that can be seen as public opinion.
The real test of public opinion will be the next european elections and in the meanwhile the Conservative party can carry one tearing itself a part.
Possibly not where the BBC are concerned, but, nonetheless, the reception the main party reps got was stony to say the least. Be honest, Tony, there is much disenchantment with politicians of all shades at the moment which tends to produced protest votes at mid term unimportant elections. Hence UKIP, and even the BNP, have seats in Brussels but none in Westminster.
DeleteIf it pleases your tiny mind to think the Conservatives are tearing themselves apart whilst Labour, presumably, are doing it all right, then please be my guest. I long since lost all respect for the leaders of our front line parties and fear for the future of our country.
As someone who was staunchly pro-EU i must confess to having growing doubts about the long term viability of this project. I now agree with having a a full debate and vote as soon as possible
ReplyDelete