Tag Archives: single market

Giles Goodall

Opinion: Cameron is wishing for an EU that already exists

By Giles Goodall | Fri 25th January 2013 - 11:21 am

The prime objective of David Cameron’s Europe speech was always to placate anti-European critics on his right flank rather than to set out a bold vision in the national interest. And in that sense, his ‘red meat’ pledge of an in/out referendum after 2015 may succeed in sating his own party’s Eurosceptic appetite, at least in the short term. But there are at least three reasons why his strategy is not only mistaken, but risks deeply damaging the national interest.

First, while the ‘repatriationist’ wing of Cameron’s own party may be satisfied with the promise of a renegotiation of as yet …

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Posted in Europe / International and Op-eds | Also tagged and | 12 Comments
Phil Bennion

Taking stock – 20 years of the Single Market

By Phil Bennion | Fri 26th October 2012 - 10:21 am

In the current “debate” over Europe, “loss of sovereignty”, and “power grabbing by the Commission” are the central themes… what an irony on the 20th anniversary of the single market – the key achievement of the EU which was spear-headed by a British Conservative European Commissioner, and cemented by a Conservative Government in 1992 under the Maastricht treaty.

Commissioner Arthur Cockfield in 1985 published a list of 300 recommendations needed to eliminate the barriers to real free trade within Europe, to make the (then) European Community more competitive and profitable for Member States.

Since 1992 the focus has been to “complete” this …

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Posted in Europe / International | Also tagged and | 34 Comments



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    Clearly individual MPs have to account for themselves but is it appropriate for the Deputy Leader and Party President of the Liberal Democrats, Messers Hughes...
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    Great news. It is disappointing though that the humanist weddings amendment had to be withdrawn at the last minute due to a legal opinion from...
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    "Only by the Western democracies and the Arab League States being prepared to match the military and political committment of Russia and Iran, by putting...
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    Does the fact that this is classified as an opinion article, rather than a factual piece, suggest that we are confused?
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    As Geoffrey Payne points out "The National Polls" Have been fairly good at predicting General Election results - as long as you only look at...