Euro Toryism

There is quite a stooshie developing in the great European halls of power, and characteristically it is passing the British public by almost entirely. Much like local councils, the European Parliament lacks the oversight of Westminster or the devolved assemblies insofar as nobody really gives a damn how ridiculous the political wrangling within becomes.

Cards on the table time: I am a Europhile. No evasion is possible, I like the EU: I even have its starred field of azure on a cheap printed flag at the bottom of some cupboard somewhere - I will not be waving it at Glastonbury or T in the Park any time soon, but it is certainly nice to have. Any closet analogies will not be taken kindly. What I am not is a Federalist; but nor am I one of those Britons that sees a federalist agenda lurking behind every locked door in Belgium. I disagree politically with a great deal of what the EU does; keep in mind, however, that the self-same fact holds true for what the British Government does. Naturally, I disliked Cameron pulling out of the EPP-ED.

The resulting situation did, however, bring about some good. The Prague Declaration, stating the founding principles of the new European Conservatives and Reformists group was a very satisfying statement of enduring Conservative values. I would have liked to see more about social liberalism as well as economic, but it is a foundation to build up - and I suppose the omission is at least consistent with the mainstream Tory view on the 'social chapter'.

As for our dealings with 'dodgy' MEPs, I am not impressed at this point. Still, I am willing to wait and see how our new partners pan out. A round of 'I told you sos' would be premature at this stage, even if we have passed the other parties a stick with which to beat us and lost control of our own group to the least desirable party within it. Cameron's motives were decent enough, he simply made the mistake to assume that the grass was greener on the other side of the river: whilst the standing orders of the European Parliament make bloc-membership a virtual necessity, no party will ever be fully satisfied with the position it shoe-horns itself into. The European Conservatives sacrificed a group with an overwhelmingly centralist agenda for one that has only the whiff of scandal about it: I can see the appeal, at least for those Tories who are inclined against the Union.

Many commentators have suggested that, under David Cameron's regime, the Conservatives have papered over the cracks within the party when it comes to matters continental. This is perhaps true - but I predict events may well conspire to create a situation where consensus can be built. Assuming Lisbon is implemented, the disagreements over Europe will become considerably less pronounced; put succinctly, there will be less to disagree on. The everyday thrust and parry of Brussels politics are not constitutional: agreement can be sought and can have broad appeal.

I only hope the noises Cameron makes about working closely with the devolved bodies within the UK will translate into his developing understanding of Europe. I do not doubt that this is the mature and sensible way of advancing our interests. With the revival of the right in this year's European Parliamentary elections, hopefully the Union too can become more palatable to British Conservatives and even put Euroscepticism on the back-burner for a few years to come.

A Tory split? Don't bank on it!