Hague: Labour stupid to pass the Lisbon Treaty - DT 17th July
Open Europe fortnightly bulletin
William Hague at Open Europe summer reception: “The status quo isn’t working”;
Lord Leach: Europe’s leaders “must embrace change”
Lord Leach: Europe’s leaders “must embrace change”
This week, Open Europe hosted its summer reception in London, with leading politicians and businesspeople from around Europe in attendance. The Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon. William Hague, gave the keynote speech at dinner.
Mr Hague argued that the “status quo isn’t working”,and that while change in the EU is “worth fighting for,” that change “cannot be superficial.” Nevertheless, Hague also stressed that the UK has already been successful in key areas of EU reform such as on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and banking union safeguards.
The Foreign Secretary commended Open Europe for its work, saying “it has become one of the outstanding think tanks on EU matters anywhere in Europe.” He also reminded guests that Open Europe grew out of the Business for Sterling campaign to keep Britain out of the euro. “Thank goodness we succeeded,” said Hague, “because it is now clear to nearly everyone, that what we predicted was right: British membership of the eurozone would have been an economic disaster for our country and would have created a political crisis in this country.”
Open Europe’s Chairman, Lord Leach of Fairford, also spoke at the event, highlighting the need for Europe to become more competitive in a global economy, and to embrace growth-enhancing measures. “The EU can't go on like this fire fighting crises and losing ground against all the rest of the world”, said Lord Leach. “We have no choice but to streamline the Single Market, cut waste or sink still further…Unless [the next] generation helps Europe’s leaders to find the courage to embrace change, [those who think the UK should leave the EU] will be proved right, that reform is a pipe-dream.”
The event was covered extensively in the press including by the the Telegraph, Reuters, the Times and the International Business Times. A video of the Foreign Secretary’s speech is available on our websitehere.
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