tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post8565794672878844568..comments2023-09-09T14:46:37.354+02:00Comments on Julien Frisch: European Parliament elections 2009 (63): British Tories (conservatives) leave the European People's Party's group in the EP (corrected)Julien Frischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18167141111642456560noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-76961580309872198512009-03-15T00:12:00.000+01:002009-03-15T00:12:00.000+01:00The idea that Cameron was elected leader simply be...The idea that Cameron was elected leader simply because of this pledge is frankly laughable! It was not a major issue in the leadership campaign (and it wasn't in Cameron's manifesto - which annoyingly means no-one's been able to produce the actual wording when rows about whether it had been broken or not occurred) which instead turned on questions of a traditionalist versus progressive party and to an extent the need for "decontamination".Tim Roll-Pickeringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12589024696145675963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-28234565242619403702009-03-14T11:45:00.000+01:002009-03-14T11:45:00.000+01:00I follow the machinations of the Tories quite clos...I follow the machinations of the Tories quite closely mostly on my blog "Teetering Tories"<BR/><BR/>The party is split on the EU. Present leader David Cameron was probably only elected leader on a promise to leave the EPP-EDD group by Christmas 2005, thus beating his more eu-sceptic opponent David Davis on the back of a promise he knew could not be fulfilled.<BR/><BR/>Cameron is now severely weakened in the party by the collapse of the British economy due to government policies he has supported.<BR/><BR/>If the UK fails to meet their hugely increased payments to the EU this year (motorway street lighting cuts were announced yesterday) it is probable there will be no UK involvement in the June elections unless the other 26 are now prepared to bankroll Britain in return for their earlier excessive payments.<BR/><BR/>The Czech Presidency should be now urgently seeking huge EU economies, including no June elections, to provide an orderly EU wind-down through the period of the Depression, as I have recommended on my blog Ironies Too.<BR/><BR/>The G20 under discussion in Horsham this weekend can hardly succeed given President Obama's refusal to agree to any binding outcomes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492174345240444269.post-45482616600697316572009-03-12T19:44:00.000+01:002009-03-12T19:44:00.000+01:00If the Tories want a weak EU by weakening it (desp...If the Tories want a weak EU by weakening it (despite the crisis) and Libertas wants a strong Europe by weakening the EU, these movements may be close enough to form an obstructionist group in the European Parliament, perhaps with a few others. <BR/><BR/>But beyond the European elections there will be elections in the UK, and it is going to be highly interesting to see if a Conservative government would be able to hammer out an even remotely constructive policy on Europe.Ralf Grahn https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.com