Pure Fantasy
In recent weeks the Daily Express among others has speculated that Government ministers are becoming ‘more eurosceptic’ and now want the UK to quit the EU. So, what do we make of such announcements?
In light of the recent media speculation, John Gill on the Freedom Association’s website asks whether the Conservative party have rediscovered euroscepticism? He says:
The Daily Express refers to these revelations as a ‘surge in anti-Brussels feeling within the Government’; and, whilst I have my reservations as to how accurate these reports are, it is encouraging nonetheless that even arch Cameroons, such as Letwin and Hilton, are beginning to see just how damaging an institution the EU is.
Whilst I won’t hold my breath that this will happen any time soon, I am confident that sooner, rather than later, the Tories will have to rediscover euroscepticism to stand any chance of keeping up with public opinion.
While John says he won’t hold his breath at this happening, even to believe that it could happen is of course wishful thinking. In fact it is so wishful as to be almost pure fantasy, since you cannot rediscover something if you had never discovered it in the first place – the Tories never having been a ‘eurosceptic’ or anti-EU party.
Eurosceptic as a definition is pretty much meaningless these days, which could best be summed up as ‘supports the EU but pretends not to’. We’ve had three decades to gaze upon the workings of the European Union and to understand it for what it really is. This is very much a black and white issue. You either do not agree with the European Project and wish to leave it, or you support it and wish to remain within it. There is no in-between, wishy-washy, middle ground. The EU cannot be reformed or changing from within, in part because there is no overall will to do so from the majority of pro-EU member states and even if there were then no mechanisms to bring about such ‘reform’ exist. Therefore ‘euroscepticism’ is a ploy to dupe the gullible into voting for so called ‘eurosceptics’ who are politicians who support the EU because they do not wish to leave.
Further to John’s point, I am not sure I view this supposed ‘surge’ of ‘anti-Brussels feeling’ as an encouraging trend at all. The Tories likely intend to absorb the supposedly ‘eurosceptic vote’ (again, whatever you define that as) and then continue to do nothing about the EU – therefore back to good old business as usual.
It all seems just a little too convenient doesn’t it? It’s all rather wink and nod. Vague hints with nothing officially announced. All is done through smoke and mirrors, speculation by journalists (particularly pro-Government journalists), with nothing substantial or concrete.
As Richard North noted only a few weeks ago, Steve Hilton must be utterly useless as a political adviser to have only just noticed the vast transfer of powers the UK has passed to the EU. Still, this is after all the same man who encouraged Dave to hug-a-hoodie, and who purportedly voted for the Green party at the General Election in 1997. Yet, having said that, Steve Hilton and the Tory advisers are not entirely stupid either. As Helen Szamuely highlighted, there is a common theme in all this:
…the presentation of the Conservative Party as the one and only truly eurosceptic political organization in this country, for which all ‘true’ eurosceptics should vote.
Perhaps the Coalition is not as harmonious as we thought, and that an early election could be likely? Who knows? Or maybe Dave and co have finally realised that the plan to woo Lib Dim voters has spectacularly failed (though one would have thought the General Election would have been proof of that). Whatever the reason, the briefings that have led to this latest round of speculation will have been with votes rather than the voters in mind.
In all likelihood therefore, this is a plan devised by Tories to create the illusion of Conservative opposition to the EU where none in fact exists. David Cameron has spoken on many occasions of his support for the EU and his desire to prevent the British people having a referendum on membership in case we voted to leave. Month after month the EU’s Directives are passed through our Parliament on the nod without as much as a squeak of opposition. And now, suddenly, as if out of the blue, Government ministers think we should leave the EU, without a train of reasoned thought or analysis. Honestly, do they really believe we are all so gullible? Clearly so.
