Sunday, December 11, 2005
Ken Clarke hits out at "eurosceptic" Cameron
Ken Clarke has branded David Cameron the most extreme eurosceptic ever to lead the Tory Party.
Europhile Mr Clarke condemned the new Tory leader's plans to cut the party's links with the European Parliament's main centre-right group.
He said pulling Tory MEPs out of the European People's Party would be a disastrous way for Mr Cameron to announce himself on the world stage.
He said Mr Cameron had been persuaded by Tory hardliners to look for allies "amongst the ultra-nationalist right".
"I hope he will take many months over his decision in the European Parliament and perhaps decide that being a more extreme eurosceptic than any of his predecessors is not the best way to launch himself on the international scene," he said.
Sour grapes? Probably. But it is quite correct that the Conservatives should be consistent and say the same things in Europe as they do at home - even if that means breaking "alliances". Cameron is right on this, and my respectful advice to Ken Clarke is to be quiet.
# posted by Chris Hughes @ 2:32 pm 
