In January, I wrote for Liberal Democrat Voice just as British Influence, the cross-party umbrella campaign to keep Britain in Europe, was starting and Prime Minister David Cameron was about to fire the starting gun for an in/out referendum on our EU membership.
Tomorrow in London, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will throw his weight back into the debate with an important speech setting out our party’s stall on the pro-European agenda, including our own commitment to an in/out referendum.
Lib Dems will fight the European Parliament elections next year on a patriotic message that Britain should lead in the EU to create jobs and growth for the British economy, not leave. Our EP 2014 campaign flyers will carry the Union Jack and not the EU flag.
British Influence believes this is the right message to undermine a surging UKIP, which claims to own the patriotic British ground. The fact is one can be patriotic and pro-European. The two can exist side by side, and indeed must do so for our country to prosper through the 21st Century. A reformed and globally competitive Europe (with less waste and fewer regulations), with Britain playing a leading role, is what’s best for our country, the DPM will say. And on that message there is broad agreement between the three party leaderships.
But, agreements aside, this speech marks a line in the sand for the party at a time when Tory internal divisions on Europe could yet spill out again in November with calls for a referendum as soon as 2014.
Liberal Democrat anger at David Cameron’s EU veto in December 2011 led by Nick Clegg put severe strain on the Coalition. Lib Dems in government remain instrumental in providing Coalition ballast away from the Tory right position of unilateral repatriation towards “reform for all” in EU negotiations.
We are delighted to see this self-belief that Britain has allies for reform in Europe in the speeches of senior Conservatives and would like to think British Influence’s work within the Tory party, our manifesto: Better Off In a Better Europe, launched by Danny Alexander MP, and the Our Biggest Market campaign, launched by Vince Cable, have played a part.
One matter of tone for the DPM to consider tomorrow: The economic arguments in the Better Together campaign in Scotland, which many see as a template for any EU referendum campaign, have moved away from hyperbole into a serious debate with the public.
So maybe take a leaf out of the book of Tony Blair, who the DPM will name-check tomorrow as a strong European leader, and who in a speech late last year to business leaders, admitted that Britain could have a future outside of Europe and that we should not exaggerate the economic impact of leaving. That might be a more convincing line to win over the important middle ground of European opinion identified in the polls as “pragmatic nationalists” (pdf), than talk of “economic suicide”.
* Adam Nathan is Deputy Director of British Influence, the campaign to keep Britain in a reformed Europe, Director of the Our Biggest Market campaign, and a Lib Dem candidate in Blackheath.
12 Comments
If we are worried about waste, we should start with the British government. Can we just have the ‘ever closer union’ we voted for please?
Not quite sure who the ‘our’ is in ‘Our EP 2014 campaign flyers will carry the Union Jack and not the EU flag’. Since I agree ‘one can be patriotic and pro-European’, my leaflets in London might well have both flags, or none.
Patriotism the last refuge of scoundrels………….
How about a democratic case for a democratic Europe? If Nick comes out with an overly pro-EU speech, that excludes many very reasonable euro-sceptics, then it will strengthen the case for a leadership election. Our current line on a referendum is also a joke and fails to provide certainty. We should just commit to a referendum in 2017.
The lack of democracy in the EU is a very liberal reason to pull out and give more power back to the people, our membership can be reviewed once they have got rid of all their non-elected spokespeople, including Baroness Ashton.
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Personally I would prefer to see campaign materials detailing the views of would-be MEPs on issues that are actually decided in the parliament to which they are elected! There is absolutely nothing MEPs can do about either our membership or the constitution of the EU. So save that kind of thing for the UK parliamentary elections.
@ Chris – “Can we just have the ‘ever closer union’ we voted for please?”
We did?
http://www.harvard-digital.co.uk/euro/pamphlet.htm
Nick Clegg patriotic? That is the BIGGEST laugh I have had for a LONG time. Your party are set to be annihilated in 2015. BRITISH JOBS FOR BRITISH PEOPLE.
Romania and Bulgaria having access to our jobs market next year will blow Nick Cleggs argument OUT OF THE WATER.
IMMIGRATION IS THE SECOND BIGGEST CONCERN AFTER THE ECONOMY.
I have felt for a long time that there is no commitment to the EU. Just returned from the capital yesterday, so many sleeping on the streets, how will that help the tourist industry? One that Spain does rely on. Crime will start to rise as the temperature lowers, and hunger is more of an issue.
My dealings with one much respected person in a responsible position, is one of great respect, I admire the wisdom and intelligence of this particular person. Spain, does tend to have good manners, as one important factor towards others.
We need to help those who need it, we need to solve the continuing problems with the economy, and housing there too is a key issue.
I am not speaking from the political corner, just a chance to give this country a chance to speak.
Does it rely on a 65 year old grandmother to make a point?
Who’s in? The Park Lane Romanians are in, for sure!l
@john: Absolutely, although MEPs do have a say in EU constututional issues; indeed they have full co-decision powers on all matters of EU law. This gives the lie to Eddie Sammon’s claim that the EU is undemocratic. The EU Parliament actually in some respects has more power than most national legislatures (is there anywhere else where the legislature can veto an international agreement?) It’s not perfect; for instance it would be nice if there were power of legislative initiative, but the separation fo powers, and consequent lack of payroll vote, means MEPs are much more independent than MPs in national parliaments.
“British influence” is a meaningless message in the context of a European Parliamentary election campaign, as MEPs do not vote en bloc by nationality, they organise and vote by party group like in any other legislature. I would expect our party’s euro election campaign to give voters a reason to vote Lib Dem / ALDE, as opposed to one of the other parties contesting the elections. That means saying what Lib Dem MEPs, as well as MEPs from other ALDE parties, have done and intend to do in the European Parliament, and contrasting it with MEPs from other parties/groups.Tehrefore, I hope our leaflets feature not only the EU flag, but also the ALDE logo, to underline that we are fighting acrosss the EU as liberals for a liberal EU. We should also, if possible, have the ALDE logo on the ballot paper.
We MUST fight elections to the EU Parliament in the same way as we fight elections to the UK parliament: on the issues that members actually debate. Even if no-one else does this (actually the Greens seem to do so, to their credit). This is a body elected by all UK voters in which we are free from coalition constraints, so are free to advance the undiluted Lib Dem line. We should be taking full advantage of this.
“Lib Dems will fight the European Parliament elections next year on a patriotic message that Britain should lead in the EU …
British leadership on Europe would indeed be a very welcome development; even more so if it was Lib Dem inspired. Unfortunately, there seems little chance of that even though the EU is not a huge success right now. Much of that is of course down to the utter disaster that is the Euro but its problems predate that – the CAP is a long-standing issue notwithstanding some reforms but for me the biggest objection is the way that referenda in smaller countries have to be held again if they get the “wrong” result first time. This is fundamentally illiberal and undemocratic and a polity that goes down this path is bound to fail as it is already doing in Greece, Spain and elsewhere. That rising tide of failure will reach us in time.
In such circumstances it is simply not good enough to argue IN or OUT – we must argue for DIFFERENT. But that is a debate the Lib Dem establishment seems determined avoid at all costs.
How different? I think that must include some mechanism for repatriating powers were there is no overriding reason or strong political support for the EU to be involved but, equally, for powers to be moved to the EU where there is a good reason to do so. This is simply the Lib Dem case for devolution consistently applied across the spectrum instead of in flat contradiction as now.
A referendum on the likely basis fills me with horror. Why should I endorse the status quo in an institution that I believe needs radical surgery to restore the peoples’ voice in the halls of government? Even if the referendum is won it will likely be on such a slim majority and/or with so many holding their nose as they vote IN that it will be badly weakened. Those campaigning for the IN campaign need to provide vision and not just spin. I see little evidence of any intention to do so as yet.
Unless we are willing to join in, how can you play?
With the possible inclusion in Bath of UKIP to the Conservatives, my interests will have wasted on the subject of the Brussels 11a. But as I said before, your Party has no interest in the fairness of the law, and Family Law is an important subject to those in the situation.