Just been watching the debates in the chamber here in Strasbourg to be surprised to hear a Tory MEP calling for the next Conservative Government to rapidly introduce the Euro.He stood up during the debate on the Langen/Berès report, EMU@10: The first 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union and future challenges
He ran through the arguement that Britain is reluctant to join EU projects until it is too late, we should have been in the euro from day one, and then called for entry as soon as possible.
And yet there is no chance he will be disciplined, no chance that he will be hauled over the coals.
And people till think that the Tory party is safe with our countries future...
5 comments:
Such faux outrage Gawain.
You are neither surprised that Chris Beazley supports UK membership of the Euro and publicly expresses that view, nor do you believe that that in any way represents the mainstream view in the Conservative Party nor even amongst Conservative MEPs.
There is not the slightest chance that the next Conservative government will apply to join the Euro and I don't think you would be silly enough to put any money on British entry within the enxt ten years.
There is very little point in withdrawing the whip over this issue, particularly as MEPs will not decide the issue. As you know, Chris Beazley was effectively deselected by the Party leadership because of his views on European integration. That would seem a reasonably firm stance.
Watch it here:
http://www.ukip.tv/?page_id=224
Mike,
I am not particularly suprised by his views, I am a little surprised by the way in which they were expressed.
Oddly enough whilst I hithertoo would have agreed that he was threatened with deselection, a conversation I had last night with somebody who really ought to know suggested otherwise. He did not apply, because he thought he would be deselected, but that would have been unlikely to happen.
The happy result is that he is not standing again.
However on the discipline front those expressing similar views from a Eurosceptic perspective have and will be disciplined. So where is the critical mass?
I don't think that's true. Signatories to the Better Off Out campaign haven't had the whip withdrawn. All that has happened has been that front benchers have been told that they can't expect to serve on the front bench unless they can sign up to the party's policies.
I would expect that to apply just as much to those few people who support euro entry as to those who want to withdraw from the EU.
Nobody will be hauled over hot coals for supporting EU federalism because David Camoron is an EU federalist himself.
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