Cameron facing fight over Europe

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Dec 11, 2005 | by Alan Crawford

CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron is facing a revolt by his party's MEPs over his plans to ditch their alliance with other centre-right groups in the European parliament.

As many as 20 of the 28 Tory European MPs are opposed to Cameron's core policy of ordering them to pull out of the European People's Party-European Democrats (EPP-ED) alliance, the largest bloc in the European parliament. They favour forming a new party after the next European elections, in 2009, according to Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson.

Stevenson, a vice-president of the EPP-ED group, went further and issued an ultimatum, saying he would refuse to go along with his leader's plans as it would mean Tory MEPs joining the group of non- aligned members, including Jean-Marie Le Pen, Alessandra Mussolini and Robert Kilroy-Silk.

"We would have to sit round the table on a weekly basis with these fascists and nutters that nobody else will sit with. I tell you now that I refuse to do that. I don't care who's ordering me to do that. I won't come back and stand for election as a Conservative in Scotland when I'm sitting in a group with Le Pen. I'm sorry, but I'm just not prepared to do it."

David Cameron confirmed his intention to order the withdrawal last week after his election as party leader. He is thought to view the EPP group as too "federalist" and dedicated to European integration. But Stevenson pointed out that he and other Tory MEPs had signed a pledge with the EPP that they would stay with the group until the next European elections.

Stevenson, Scotland's senior Tory MEP, added that it was important Cameron maintained strong relations with like-minded, centre-right parties across Europe, "and not divorce himself from them within hours of becoming leader of the Conservatives".