This is a shabby bit of journalism. Firstly ythe MEP candidates have
- before they could be selected - agreed to withdraw from the EPP-ED
group of federalist, arch euro-fanatical MEPs dominated by the French
and German Christian Democrat factions. So they will merely get
deselected if they do not stick to their promise.
Then this journalist isn’t up-to-speed. The oddball Robert Kilroy
Silk is hardly likely to stand again and if he did for what party,
and would anyone vote for a man who has been in a sulk for two years,
while, of course, continuing to draw his salary? And again the
writer hasn’t caught up with Le Pen’s announcement that he is to
withdraw from active politics.
This is shabby journalism at its worst which is why I circulate it!
XXXXXXXX CS
I note it is headed “Inside Westminster” which is exactly what it is
NOT!
===================
SCOTSMAN 3.10.08 Inside Westminster - Tory MEPs not a happy bunch
By Ross Lydall
AT THE Conservative Party conference this week, William Hague, the
shadow foreign secretary, fired the starting gun on the next big
challenge for David Cameron: the European elections.
Polling day is not until June, but it will be the biggest UK-wide
test to date for Mr Cameron and Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister. It
will be taken as a key indicator of the likely result in the next
general election.
But the Tory MEPs who will go into battle on Mr Cameron's behalf are
not a happy bunch. Already forced to sign up to new rules on
expenses, they are now under orders to withdraw from the centre-right
coalition that dominates business in the European Parliament.
This was a promise Mr Cameron made to his Eurosceptic Westminster
party when he was fighting David Davis for the party leadership. But
insiders warn that it threatens to reopen the fault lines on Europe
within the Tory party at large and could also undermine Mr Cameron's
hopes, should he become prime minister, of a fruitful working
relationship with Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, Angela
Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian
prime minister.
Under European Parliament rules, MEPs have to join a group to gain
rights and influence. The current threshold is 20 MEPs from at least
six member states. After June, it increases to 25 MEPs from seven EU
countries. The Tories have 26 MEPs at present and hope to gain around
40 of the 72 UK seats up for grabs. But they will struggle to form a
new group with MEPs from six other nations. The Czech democrats are
already signed up, and they may also be able to count on the support
of the Italian Pensioners' Party.
But there is a concern that few other countries will be ready to join
the Tories – leaving its MEPs post-June having to sit in a ramshackle
gathering of political outcasts currently featuring Robert Kilroy-
Silk and the French fascist Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter, Marine.
Mr Cameron is accused of failing to comprehend how Europe works – and
now risks a split within Tory ranks at Brussels. Around six of his
MEPs have made clear that they will not be prepared to sit with the
unaligned MEPs from elsewhere in Europe.
- before they could be selected - agreed to withdraw from the EPP-ED
group of federalist, arch euro-fanatical MEPs dominated by the French
and German Christian Democrat factions. So they will merely get
deselected if they do not stick to their promise.
Then this journalist isn’t up-to-speed. The oddball Robert Kilroy
Silk is hardly likely to stand again and if he did for what party,
and would anyone vote for a man who has been in a sulk for two years,
while, of course, continuing to draw his salary? And again the
writer hasn’t caught up with Le Pen’s announcement that he is to
withdraw from active politics.
This is shabby journalism at its worst which is why I circulate it!
XXXXXXXX CS
I note it is headed “Inside Westminster” which is exactly what it is
NOT!
===================
SCOTSMAN 3.10.08 Inside Westminster - Tory MEPs not a happy bunch
By Ross Lydall
AT THE Conservative Party conference this week, William Hague, the
shadow foreign secretary, fired the starting gun on the next big
challenge for David Cameron: the European elections.
Polling day is not until June, but it will be the biggest UK-wide
test to date for Mr Cameron and Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister. It
will be taken as a key indicator of the likely result in the next
general election.
But the Tory MEPs who will go into battle on Mr Cameron's behalf are
not a happy bunch. Already forced to sign up to new rules on
expenses, they are now under orders to withdraw from the centre-right
coalition that dominates business in the European Parliament.
This was a promise Mr Cameron made to his Eurosceptic Westminster
party when he was fighting David Davis for the party leadership. But
insiders warn that it threatens to reopen the fault lines on Europe
within the Tory party at large and could also undermine Mr Cameron's
hopes, should he become prime minister, of a fruitful working
relationship with Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, Angela
Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian
prime minister.
Under European Parliament rules, MEPs have to join a group to gain
rights and influence. The current threshold is 20 MEPs from at least
six member states. After June, it increases to 25 MEPs from seven EU
countries. The Tories have 26 MEPs at present and hope to gain around
40 of the 72 UK seats up for grabs. But they will struggle to form a
new group with MEPs from six other nations. The Czech democrats are
already signed up, and they may also be able to count on the support
of the Italian Pensioners' Party.
But there is a concern that few other countries will be ready to join
the Tories – leaving its MEPs post-June having to sit in a ramshackle
gathering of political outcasts currently featuring Robert Kilroy-
Silk and the French fascist Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter, Marine.
Mr Cameron is accused of failing to comprehend how Europe works – and
now risks a split within Tory ranks at Brussels. Around six of his
MEPs have made clear that they will not be prepared to sit with the
unaligned MEPs from elsewhere in Europe.
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