eurealist.co.uk

Eurealist :: Electioneering for power at a local council: “Electioneering for power at a local council
by Eurealist at 09:09AM (BST) on April 25, 2005 | Permanent Link | Cosmos

I have been away for part of the week and then to busy to post much, as I have been relying on the main BBC news for information on the election, it has evident that the EU does not figure at all in the election debates. I did note on Sunday the article in the Telegraph “Europe is missing” a point taken up by William Rees-Mogg in the Times today.

How is it that at a time when we are being asked to elect a government, the biggest and most important issue to face every aspect of our lives, is pushed so far to the sidelines that no one is even prepared to debate the affects EU membership has on the policies of that government, this is a no go area, all of the main parties and the media, are for their own reasons refusing to enter into the debate. It is as the Telegraph says, only to be expected, given its marginal presence in the campaign and is perhaps the reason why an ICM poll shows that only 4 per cent of voters regard Europe as the most important issue in the election.

As Richard North at EU Referendum notes “Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the leader in The Sunday Telegraph today, rejoicing in the title ‘Europe is missing’, is that it was published at all.

In common with the political parties, the media itself has been at pains to avoid bringing the European Union into the cockpit of general election politics, yet it is precisely that phenomenon which the is remarked upon by the Telegraph.”

The Telegraph say “it would be a shame if European policy did not play a significant part in voters’ deliberations, as it is one of the areas where there is a pronounced difference between the two main parties. On the economy, for instance, Labour and the Tories quibble over whether the State should spend 42 or 40 per cent of the nation’s income. But on Europe, Mr Blair and Mr Howard offer quite different visions.”

Perhaps this is the point, conceivable it could be argued that the Conservative policy on the EU is intended not as a real alternative to Tony Blair’s Pro-EU and Pro-Constitutional stance, but is merely a sop to the Consevative core vote, in an attempt to attract voters back from UKIP. Thus it is not something the Conservatives want to make a big deal over, just in case they have to actually implement the policies of repatriating powers if elected. As any attempt at renegotiation is going to be rejected by the EU, failure will be that much more damaging to the party, if the Conservatives were elected on a clearly articulated policy, especially as Howard also says that he will not take Britian out of the EU if his negotiations fail. This part policy is looking less like promise to the people of this country to do something to repatriate powers from the EU and more like electioneering for power at a local council.