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David Cameron will pledge tomorrow to work with like-minded politicians to create a new European Union — one that he thinks will work for Britain and the world rather than immerse itself in distractions such as the constitution.
In one of his most important speeches since becoming Tory leader, Mr Cameron will signal the start of a new engagement by his party with Europe, reforming it from the inside so that it moves from uniformity to diversity and from being an inward-facing bureaucracy to an outward-facing association of states. It would be one which devotes its energies to matters such as global warming, world poverty and creating a dynamic economy.
Along with Mirek Topolanek, the Czech Prime Minister and leader of the ODS (civic democrats), Mr Cameron will speak at the first conference of the new Movement for European Reform, founded last year when the Conservatives said they would pull out of the European People’s Party after the 2009 Euro elections and start a new political grouping. The address will mark Mr Cameron’s attempt to get his party to start talking about Europe again but without becoming embroiled with sovereignty.
An aid said: “We have not been able to speak about Europe much because in the past we have always split over it. Now we want to be pointing the way towards where Europe should be going and saying that we will change it.”
The speech will be a clear signal that Mr Cameron will not take his party out of Europe and also a message to supporters who are considering deserting to UKIP that he will try to change the EU.
His speech comes before the signing of the Berlin declaration later this month, reaffirming the principle of unity in Europe at the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
He will say: “This is a moment for us to reflect on where the EU is — and where it needs to be.” A visitor from Mars, witnessing the signing of the declaration, would take a close look of the inner workings of the EU and observe earnest discussions about reviving constitutions, transfers of competence, relative voting weights and other distractions.
But the intelligent Martian would say the EU should be focusing on the economic challenges of globalisation and the urgent need to reform European economies so that it could maintain its prosperity. It should also concentrate on the challenge of climate change and the need for swift action at all levels to slow the rate of global warming. And it should be absorbed by the moral and security challenge of global poverty.
“Every night, some hundreds of Africans board boats and rafts to sail to Europe. They risk death at sea in order to work in menial jobs, illegally, far from home, in an often hostile and alien culture. They do this because Africa is in a wretched state.
“This demands action for its own sake, but for our sake too we have to address the state of Africa if we are to preserve our security in the face of unstable regimes to our south.”
Tomorrow’s meeting in Brussels will be attended by other leaders, academics, business people and citizens. Mr Cameron will say he hopes it will mark a new beginning for all countries and the beginning of a process that will fundamentally change the EU.
He will say: “We want to work together with the peoples and parties of Europe who share our vision, to create a new union, a new union based not on uniformity and compulsion, but on diversity and voluntary cooperation of independent nation states. That is the vision we are working towards.”
Mr Cameron will say that his three priorities reinforce each other. “It is only by responding to the challenges of global competition and by opening up our economies to free trade that we will fight poverty in Africa. Ultimately it is enterprise, not aid that will save the developing world.
“In the same way, it is only by liberalising our economy that we will develop the technologies for energy security, the innovations that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas. It is by finding sustainable ways of powering industries that we will hand on a prosperous nation to our grandchildren.”
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When the proponents of European Federalism, like Andrew Slater, misrepresent opposition positions and have nothing positive to say in favour then I think they are tacitly admitting the argument is lost.
JM, Edinburgh,
Visitors from Mars may well find the EU difficult to understand but they’d find the British reluctance to be part of the EU impossible to understand.
When will the Conservative Party, and the people of Middle-England, wake up to the fact that not only is the EU the best game in town, it is the only game in town.
Politicians of all stripes are prone to behave as if we still had an Empire.
Wake up.
It's 2007.
The Empire is gone, if we want to go forward, if we want to succeed then we can be a major player in a strong Europe or we can be a footnote in History.
Closer union is not only inevitable it is desirable. History will not judge those that seek to oppose such a union kindly.
Andrew Slater, Bedford & Montreal.,
No chance of a the Tories winning the next election then! more blairite twaddle, no one can reform the eu, certainly not a silly egotist like 'call me Dave'. It looks like further destruction of Britain with the labour morons, as people's votes will be going elsewhere, which is their right to do so, means that they will retain control (stranglehold) It is time that there was a major referendum which listed all the issues, NHS, Law & Order, Immigration, Europe, Education and a few others of similar importance. Then perhaps the government of the time could set out its policies relevent to that referendum, but then again maybe no chance, so all will stay as it is!
John Korn, North Bay, Ontario / Canada
Dream on Mr Cameron. You obviously don't know your British history - still you wouldn't as you're only a boy!
Every British PM except traitor Heath has tried initially to reform the EEC/EC/EU from inside. IT CAN'T WORK, WON'T WORK 'cos the EU doesn't want it to work. France and Germany insist on sleeping together in their quest for "ever closer union" and that won't change. Britain is big enough to go it alone and to co-operate with the EU only on mutually agreed projects. QED
Terry Stokes, Corby, England
Now let me get this straight, if we join with Europe fully then we can begin to challenge the U.S. at every level and counter it's dominance in the world. We can increase our prospects and opportunities for everyone, improve our standards and start competing in cutting-edge developments of industry, science and research. If we don't and we keep on our merry ol' self sort of way then we become an underfunded society with an important financial centre, ready to be plundered by the big guys whenever anything interesting pops up. Hang on a mo' isn't that...?
Paul McCloskey, london, England
Bravo Mr Cameron. I am delighted to hear yet again that the Conservative Party will finally pull out of the federalist EPP, which has been like a millstone round our necks and the necks of those parties across Europe who share our views on what Europe should really be like.
I am particularly pleased because Mr Cameron is spelling out for anyone who ever doubted it that the Conservatives believe in a dynamic Europe, one that cooperates and works to meet the challenges that we all face, rather than the an inward looking self obsessed entity characterised by the policy doctrine of ‘Fortress Europe’.
Cameron’s vision of Europe is one that is shared by the majority of the people in this country and given the current problems that UKIP are embroiled will surely strike the right note.
Councillor Alistair Thompsonc, portsmouth, UK
I take it Cameron doesn't want to win the election then. Most of us want out of the EU not in it in any way. I hope the people wake up and realise he is Blair MK2, he's already been to the Bilderberg meeting, which usually means he will do as he is told by the NWO if elected. It happens to them all. i suggest the Tories get rid of him if they want to ever get inside No 10.
We need a party that listens to the people not the powers behind our governments.
NO EU and NO NWO
Samantha Jones, Bucks, England
Visitors from Mars would be bemused not only by the EU, but also by David Cameron's policy on the EU. If he really wants "to create a new European Union" then that would have to be a completely new European organisation, literally not just figuratively, with a founding treaty which explicitly rejected the concept of "ever closer union". There's no hope of him achieving that while he says that he'd stay in the present organisation come what may.
Denis Cooper, Maidenhead, England
Reform from the inside? We've been trying that for years and been ignored. The major players in the EU project are quite happy with it as it is. We either settle for what it is - and what's it's destined to become - or get out of this bureaucratic, centralised, dictatorial Soviet.
Tony Jones, Grantham, Lincs
Why is this article not put in context? Why is the New World Order not mentioned and why are your readers not being informed of the goals of a one-world government?
The primary goal of reducing the world population by 1-2 billion in the next 2 years, which is well known now, can hardly be overlooked! Refer: www.policestateplanning.com, for the e-book 'The Police State Road Map' (2005) by Michael Nield.
Clare Swinney, Whangarei, NZ
Mr Cameron is very much on the right track but, as I asked him in a recent communication, it is time for him to look at the voting rights of individuals in the EU not just the voting rights of nations. At present expat Brits living in other EU countries, eg Greece, and paying those countries taxes are barred from voting in those same countries national elections. President Barroso has called this "a gap in electoral rights". I have asked Mr Cameron to intervene in this fundamental democratic crisis. The American revolution was launched on the slogan "No taxation without representation" and yet in 2007 the EU still hasn't caught up with this basic human right.
Dr David Green, Athens, Greece
If he really is going to say these things then fair enough at least he has made a decision. That decision is one of closer EU integration, of accepting that parliament is no longer relevent and that his party will be no different to NuLab. Nobody can reform the EU because there is no accountability, no democratic means to express views and no prospect of it. Most of all, and what will lose him the most votes, is it means another set of politicians who are being dishonest. I have no problem with us staying in the EU if that is what the majority of the country want, democracy I think its called, but to dress this up without giving the facts on migration, economic reality of EU membership and how his 'reforms' will benefit us is to show the voters the same disregard as NuLab.
What is worse is the fact that Merkel will put a proposal to the members in June about the revised constituion, so why tie himself and the party to a view now? His policy is a non-policy, the EPP and Czech support makes no difference to anything so why announce it now?
Only someone who is going to accept the proposals whatever they contain would do that.. Rumbled Mr Cameron
Steve, Colchester, UK