May 8, 2008...1:24 pm
Would the Tories have a vote on leaving the EU?
Fraser Nelson interviews David Cameron and Cameron won’t deny he’d have a referendum on withdrawing from the EU.
“One theory, which I have now heard from two shadow Cabinet members, is that the Conservatives would insert in their manifesto a pledge to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership of the European Union and then hold a referendum on the result. It would be a herculean task, which would take years. But when I put the proposal to Mr Cameron, I do not get the brush-off denial I expect.
CAMERON: ‘These suggestions are options for how to deliver what I’ve spoken about,’ he says — referring to his promise not to let ‘things rest’. ‘I am not going to comment favourably or unfavourably on any option like that until we are ready to do so.’
If the Tories were to renoegotiate the terms of membership of the EU, and then hold a referendum on it, rejecting the resulting referendum would mean leaving the EU. If the leader of the Conservative party is thinking along these lines, this is probably the biggest story in politics. Are the Tories really considering a referendum on membership of the EU?
7 Comments
May 8, 2008 at 8:54 pm
“this is probably the biggest story in politics”
…but those pesky media types with their narratives and fondness for drama seem to be fixating on Brown and his problems (e.g. Tomorrow’s SUN front page). It’s all like SO unfair…
May 9, 2008 at 12:59 am
lol.. I think you’re imagining a complaint I don’t have. I can’t imagine the media covering this right now- but it’s pretty significant, no? For the first time in a generation a leader of a major political party is opening the door to leaving the EU.
Of course, we’re currently having our own difficulties with referendums, and one has to raise an eyebrow at some of our tacticians in the Scottish parliament.. but hey- that’s devolution. You give people devolved powers they have a nasty habt of doing what they think’s best, the swines.
May 9, 2008 at 2:25 am
I’m not sure it means what you think it does though - wouldn’t rejection of a renegotiated settlement simply mean the existing settlement holds good?
Depends on the question of course but it certainly could mean that. And yes, that ambiguity isn’t an accident on Cameron’s part - he’s consciously exploiting it for political purpose but hey, he’s a politician. When you consider Tory tensions on the topic it’s a neat way of placating the extremists now without committing to or rjecting outright their position.
As for Wendy…!?!
May 9, 2008 at 11:09 am
No, if you had a referendum on a new relationship with Europe, and it was voted down, it would be a rejection of even a more distant relationship with the EU.
If the government of the day had managed to get a “special deal” from EU partners, then got beaten on that, the EU would have to say no to any further deals, otherwise it would be open to being bargained down by any member state that fancied it.
This is a sleeper story, but leaving the door open on this commitment leaves the door open to leaving the EU.
May 10, 2008 at 12:35 am
I don’t think this idea means a referendum on British membership of the EU, but Cameron does intend to change our relationship with it decisively. He realises that in the post-election time when he actually has to deliver, the best weapon in his armoury when he goes to EU summits is the verdict of his people, hence the manifesto pledge. If he gets his way in the summit, he will then press for ratification and back it to the hilt, and if not, the referendum will be lost and he will have a second chance to present the EU with the verdict of the British people and demand change.
However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves - it’s not actually Conservative policy yet…
May 10, 2008 at 8:13 pm
You give people devolved powers they have a nasty habit of doing what they think is best, the swines.
Chilling when the young lie so easily .Unfair voting rights for Scots was cooked up so as to save the 70 odd Labour seats in Scotland and Wales . It was intended to stop the SNP and cheat the Conservatives. British Brown is a shallow insultingly clunky attempt to pass a conjurors hand before the palmed raw politics . No wonder no-one believes a word a Labour politician says any more you are too lost in your own fictions to say much about anything
On the EU it would not mean leaving the EU so stop repeating that lie as well. If however we were able to revert to governing ourselves with market mechanisms in place for trade as others do successfully personally I would be delighted as would an increasing number of others. This is not news everyone knows the Conservative Party are far more Euro sceptic that Labour and action will indeed be expected .Personally I think it vastly more likely that those hopes will be disappointed .
May 16, 2008 at 9:42 pm
No he’s not intending to leave the EU. He’s intending to keep the voters the Tories have won back from UKIP.
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