March 6, 2007
David Cameron’s strange bedfellows
David Cameron’s new Movement for European Reform is a strange thing. Launched by the British Conservative leader on Tuesday in Brussels, there were several things which struck me as slightly unusual about the inauguration of this new centre-right group.
The first was the fact that the Conservatives had gone to the trouble to bring along about 90 students from London schools to "see at first hand" Europe’s future being discussed: they also performed the useful role of filling empty seats at the back of the hall and looking youthful.
The second is the fact that the Movement for European Reform - which is intended to pave the way in 2009 to the creation of a new political group in the European parliament - does not actually really exist.
I asked Graham Brady, the Conservative party’s Europe spokesman, how one could find out more information about the MER? He said one could try calling him. The movement does not have any official organisation or secretariat.
"We’re trying to cut bureaucracy in Europe so it would be ironic if we had a big secretariat," he said. It would be more of a "loose network" of like-minded parties and people looking to make Europe more competitive, Atlanticist, concerned with world poverty and global warming.
It is this last point which I found strangest about the event. The Movement of European Reform’s launch pamphlet puts fighting climate change as one of its top priorities: there was even a panel discussion on whether the EU could lead the global fight against climate change.
We all know about Mr Cameron’s passion for the subject. But the Tories’ main allies in the MER are the Czech ODS, a party which is probably the most sceptical about the idea of fighting global warming of any mainstream party in Europe.
The Czech president and ODS founder Vaclav Klaus says climate change is "a false myth". His government is resisting plans at an EU summit this week to having a 20 per cent binding target for renewables as a share of Europe’s energy use.
The truth of the matter is that Mr Cameron would be better off listening to many of his MEPs, who want the Tories to call off this curious political marriage with the ODS and to stay in the European People’s party, the largest centre-right group in Europe.
There Mr Cameron’s views on climate change might carry real weight. He would even have some real allies for this cause, among them Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, who is fighting to persuade the Czech government to back serious action against climate change.
Alternatively maybe he should form an alliance with the British Labour party in the European parliament, which shares completely his programme of focussing the EU on becoming more competitive, fighting global poverty and tackling climate change.
George, I couldn’t agree more. I was talking to a Tory MEP yesterday, who pointed out that they control seven of the crucial Co-ordinator jobs in the EPP-ED: Development, International Trade, Employment and Social Affairs, Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Industry, Research and Energy, Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and Petitions. If that list doesn’t cover the most important areas of EU policy making, I don’t know what does.
As part of a smaller group with the ODS and as-yet unidentified other parties, the Tories would hold just as many co-ordinator jobs, but they would be co-ordinating the positions of a group that had a fraction of the weight of the EPP. Today, the Tories lead the policy development work in the largest group in the EP. If Cameron pulls them out, they face oblivion.
Posted by: Chris Sherwood | March 7th, 2007 at 10:42 am | Report this commentNo elector in Britain gives a damm what meaningless positions Tory’s hold in the European Parliament. There is not one vote in the entire country that will be swung by that. Cameron’s delays and half measures looks weak and unprincipled on Europe compared to Gordon Brown who (according to Claire Short) turned down Blair’s offer of Prime Ministerial office in exchange for standing back and allowing the British economy to be damaged by Euro membership. Come the next election the British people will decide which party leader best represents the British interest. On Europe, it will be difficult to trust anyone but Brown.
Posted by: John | March 7th, 2007 at 5:19 pm | Report this commentJohn you are right to some extent that greater behind-the-scenes influence in the EP is not a vote-winner in the UK. But oblivion is certainly not a vote-winner either. And it’s not just oblivion as regards the workings of the EP - membership of the EPP gives the Tories a platform for frequent and public meetings with major European leaders. Aligning with the Czech governing party (onlu just) and no one else of any importance will not increase the sense of the electorate that the Tories are relevant in the EU.
Personally, I don’t trust Brown or Cameron on Europe - Cameron because he has a non-policy, and Brown because he doesn’t have a policy, non- or otherwise. I don’t think I want to vote on the basis of a rumour started by Clare Short!
Posted by: Chris Sherwood | March 8th, 2007 at 12:47 pm | Report this commentSome of Cameron’s announcements this week were positive, such as his goal to return some powers from Brussels starting with social and employment policy. But how much faith can we put in a Blair-clone who vacillates for years even on a minor EU issue such as pulling his troops out of an overtly federalist group like the EPP? The bottom line is that William Hague and the Conservatives talked about saving the Pound, but Gordon Brown did it. That will count for something at the next election.
Posted by: John | March 8th, 2007 at 8:12 pm | Report this commentFair point. But why not vote UKIP?
Posted by: Chris Sherwood | March 8th, 2007 at 8:22 pm | Report this comment