Following today’s (Thurs – 28 Aug) shock defection by high-profile anti-EU Conservative backbencher Douglas Carswell MP, pro-Europeans are urging British PM David Cameron to stop appeasing his UKIP militant tendency in Westminster and Brussels. “Cameron has constantly caved into UKIP, but appeasement never works!” warns the leader of Britain’s new 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) Dirk Hazell. As London region chairman for the Conservatives, Hazell witnessed first-hand the growing power of the militant UKIP tendency within Tory ranks, with Cameron making matters worse during his Conservative Party leadership bid.
“While Carswell is more principled than many in resigning from the House of Commons so the voters of Clacton (Essex, UK) can decide between UKIP and the Conservative Party, the timing is deeply unpatriotic. All Unionists will be dismayed that he has stolen attention from the PM’s keynote speech this evening on Scotland’s future. In addition, at the most dangerous time for a generation in foreign affairs - when Britain’s outstanding armed forces are on standby - Carswell’s shameless vanity is distracting attention from the vital NATO Summit the Prime Minister will host next week,” commented Dirk Hazell.
Looking ahead to the key by-election this autumn, Hazell noted: “This will be a major test for both UKIP and the Conservative Party. Cameron needs to come clean with the British people over his EU strategy. Short-term tactics and media spin have now proved beyond doubt to be no substitute for a national strategy. Cameron must explain how the Tories will stop Brexit.”
On Saturday (30 Aug), Cameron joins other European leaders in Brussels for a special EU Summit to discuss the appointment of the next European Commission. Following on from Cameron’s failure to prevent Jean-Claude Juncker becoming President of the European Commission, Carswell’s defection to UKIP risks further damaging Cameron’s credibility with fellow EU leaders as splits over Europe continue unabated within the Conservative Party. “British influence was sharply reduced when Cameron marched his Tory MEPs out of the EPP Group in 2009 and it has been downhill ever since”, observed Hazell.
In the European Parliament, Conservative Euro-MPs recently defied Cameron’s orders by going into alliance with anti-immigrant and anti-EU parties. “Cameron is increasingly isolated in Europe as the British Conservative-led ECR Group lurches to the harder right. Cameron has lost control of his fringe Euro-Group. Since January 2013, Tory-led ECR Group Euro-MPs voted two-thirds of the time with Farage’s UKIP-led EFD Group.”, stated Hazell.
“Before Britain went to the polls on Thursday 22 May 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) asked both the Prime Minister as leader of the Conservative Party and also the leader of the Conservative MEPs to come clean about their intended euro-allies. It looks like they concealed from the British people what was already planned. The sad reality is that UKIP-sympathiser Daniel Hannan MEP - not David Cameron - runs the Conservative Party in Brussels”, explained Hazell.
In 2008, leading anti-European MEP Daniel Hannan co-authored with Douglas Carswell - who is a close friend of Hannan - a plan to “save Britain”. - “The Hannan bandwagon of UKIP sympathisers has form: they are determined to secure Brexit. By refusing to face down UKIP, and instead putting his own survival as party leader ahead of the British national interest, Cameron is taking Britain to the brink of Brexit”, said Hazell.
The pro-European 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) gives centre ground, centre-right pro-European people in the UK the chance to be back at the heart of Europe, inside the mainstream EPP family. “We will begin to repair the damage Cameron created. We believe in bringing people together, not driving them apart. Britain should lead not leave the EU”, concluded Hazell.
“While Carswell is more principled than many in resigning from the House of Commons so the voters of Clacton (Essex, UK) can decide between UKIP and the Conservative Party, the timing is deeply unpatriotic. All Unionists will be dismayed that he has stolen attention from the PM’s keynote speech this evening on Scotland’s future. In addition, at the most dangerous time for a generation in foreign affairs - when Britain’s outstanding armed forces are on standby - Carswell’s shameless vanity is distracting attention from the vital NATO Summit the Prime Minister will host next week,” commented Dirk Hazell.
Looking ahead to the key by-election this autumn, Hazell noted: “This will be a major test for both UKIP and the Conservative Party. Cameron needs to come clean with the British people over his EU strategy. Short-term tactics and media spin have now proved beyond doubt to be no substitute for a national strategy. Cameron must explain how the Tories will stop Brexit.”
On Saturday (30 Aug), Cameron joins other European leaders in Brussels for a special EU Summit to discuss the appointment of the next European Commission. Following on from Cameron’s failure to prevent Jean-Claude Juncker becoming President of the European Commission, Carswell’s defection to UKIP risks further damaging Cameron’s credibility with fellow EU leaders as splits over Europe continue unabated within the Conservative Party. “British influence was sharply reduced when Cameron marched his Tory MEPs out of the EPP Group in 2009 and it has been downhill ever since”, observed Hazell.
In the European Parliament, Conservative Euro-MPs recently defied Cameron’s orders by going into alliance with anti-immigrant and anti-EU parties. “Cameron is increasingly isolated in Europe as the British Conservative-led ECR Group lurches to the harder right. Cameron has lost control of his fringe Euro-Group. Since January 2013, Tory-led ECR Group Euro-MPs voted two-thirds of the time with Farage’s UKIP-led EFD Group.”, stated Hazell.
“Before Britain went to the polls on Thursday 22 May 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) asked both the Prime Minister as leader of the Conservative Party and also the leader of the Conservative MEPs to come clean about their intended euro-allies. It looks like they concealed from the British people what was already planned. The sad reality is that UKIP-sympathiser Daniel Hannan MEP - not David Cameron - runs the Conservative Party in Brussels”, explained Hazell.
In 2008, leading anti-European MEP Daniel Hannan co-authored with Douglas Carswell - who is a close friend of Hannan - a plan to “save Britain”. - “The Hannan bandwagon of UKIP sympathisers has form: they are determined to secure Brexit. By refusing to face down UKIP, and instead putting his own survival as party leader ahead of the British national interest, Cameron is taking Britain to the brink of Brexit”, said Hazell.
The pro-European 4 Freedoms Party (UK EPP) gives centre ground, centre-right pro-European people in the UK the chance to be back at the heart of Europe, inside the mainstream EPP family. “We will begin to repair the damage Cameron created. We believe in bringing people together, not driving them apart. Britain should lead not leave the EU”, concluded Hazell.
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