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Today the colourless Chris Bryant wrote a piece in the Independent saying how Cameron would come unstuck over the EU and so on. Clearly a rather desperate bit of pre election campaigning where because Labour has nothing to boast about after 12 years of misrule, “attack” is the only choice. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/chris-bryant-cameron-will-come-unstuck-on-eu-fudge-1812756.html

A good example being: “That has meant three million extra jobs and annual exports of £370bn.” It would not require a genius, Labour Ministers hardly comply with that requirement anyway, to take one look at our trade deficit with the EU to realise that they need us more than we need them. It is likely that +6 million EU jobs rely on us being part of this mess.

Who is the Milch Cow Now ?

Another example being the “car scrapheap scheme” which whilst popular with Car Dealerships because it brings them business, has only benefited French, German, Spanish and Italian car manufactures rather than the British based plants, BMW Mini apart.

Also, even Bryant knows that British Policy towards the EU has always been the same, whatever the public declarations of each Government including his own, it is being totally semi-detached and contentious. This “policy” has been in force in one way or another with regard to Europe since Henry VIII and will continue into the future and was formulated to ensure “Continental Powers” could not gang up on Britain. The British attitude towards the EU has a far longer pedigree than just hearkening back to days of “Empire”.

Where the Conservatives Sit

As to what grouping the Conservatives belong to is totally irrelevant, with 27 member countries, even if all the British MPs banded together to oppose any measure, they would be out voted by France and Germany on principle. As to why France and Germany will always oppose the UK, it is simply that the enlargement process has diluted their power so their next goal will be a two speed Europe so that they can rule the roost again and, the UK will oppose this in the best interests of all of Europe.

As the individual countries are and will remain just that into the foreseeable future, there will never be a political bloc called the EU that can strut its stuff on the world stage, even when Germany and France agree, many others will not follow, as someone pointed out, there really is no European Demos that binds Frenchmen with Greeks, Danes and Britons, no overarching ideal that unites all.

The EU Awaits Political Change in the UK

The reason that neither Blair nor Miliband will get a sniff at the “EU Top Jobs” is quite simply that the EU, Sarkozy and Merkel already know that Brown and Labour are a lost cause and therefore being “nice” to them is a waste of effort because they will disappear within 6 months to be replaced by a Conservative Government. As Cameron will be bogged down in administering tough fiscal medicine at home, “Fighting for British Interests” within the EU is a guaranteed theme in the years ahead and all the EU know it.

Funnily enough, the smartest first move Cameron could make is not related directly to the EU as such but very effective, remove the UK from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights, make UK Courts supreme. As to Bryant’s “…the uncomfortable truth for Mr Cameron is that if he tried unilaterally to opt out, the European Court of Justice would immediately decide that the UK was in contravention of its treaty obligations.” It is hardly surprising that he is so ignorant of the British Constitution which means that a Parliament led by Cameron, is not bound by any Treaty signed by Brown and Labour – a previous Parliament.

Having made his intentions clear whilst in Opposition and whilst it is normal to honour Treaties from one Parliament to another, Brussels can have no complaint if they are forced into a number of opt outs and concessions to the UK, it is the game and they know it, payback time for not holding a British Referendum which most certainly would have rejected the Lisbon Treaty.

Finally

Bottom line of course is that this article is part of a desperate attempt to find any topic to slow down a Tory victory and minimise the extent of the Labour defeat. Null points Mr Bryant, you’ll have to find yourself a “proper job” after the Election ! However and as Bryant knows full well, if the public were mad enough to re-elect Bodger Brown and his Band of Renown, British Policy towards the EU, despite any flowery words used, would be identical to a Conservative Government, “In it but not of it.”