Shropshire Tory MPs back David Cameron on eurozone treaty vote
Friday 9th December 2011, 12:33PM GMT.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski today backed David Cameron’s decision to use the British veto to block eurozone treaty change.
The Conservative MP said the situation was at a ‘stalemate’ but that Mr Cameron had stood up for Britain’s best interests.
Mr Kawczynski said the other countries could press ahead, but any decision would be unenforceable without all 27 member states agreeing.
“My understanding is that they cannot go ahead with full treaty change without the acquiescence of all member states,” he said.
He described the French and German plans as a ‘massive new constitutional change’. “I’m extremely pleased that Mr Cameron has stood up for Britain’s interests,” he said.
Mr Kawczynski said Britain had for a long time been ‘suckered’ into France and Germany’s taxation plans.
He said the Prime Minister was not prepared to agree to proposals that were not in Britain’s national interests.
“It’s wonderful that he’s standing up and not allowing things that were against the interests of the UK.”
Mr Kawczynski said the Prime Minister had promised that there would be no further move of British power to Europe without giving the country a say.
“Any further move of power to Brussels would have to be through a referendum of the people,” he added.
And Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone who lives near Bridgnorth, said he supported the Prime Minister’s stance, saying what was being proposed by Europe would undermine British democracy and mean areas such as transport and energy would also come under European control.
“I called on David Cameron to veto this treaty. We need a fundamental change to our relationship with the EU and this is the beginning of it,” he said today.
Telford MP David Wright said it was important that Britain did not lose out.
“We’ll have to see the detail of the deal,” he added. “I’ve always thought that it’s the responsibility of the Eurozone countries to sort out their currency.
“I’m very pleased that Gordon Brown kept us out of the euro.”
He added: “We’ll still be members of the EU and it’s important that we have access to the single market. The crucial thing now is to ensure we do not lose out in terms of our trade interests within the single market.”
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, who is the Government Whip to the Foreign Office, said: “David Cameron went to Brussels to safeguard Britain’s interests and he has done so.
“We want to see the eurozone countries take decisive action to stabilise their currency and bring down deficits in member countries; we shall have to see if they can achieve this.”
See also:
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Three cheers for the Prime Minister!
“The UK is as isolated as somebody who refused to join the Titanic just before it sailed.”
I think that sums up the situation about right.
Report abuse
He was already aboard the Titanic, he just got into a lifeboat. On his own.
I reckon the story ends badly for everyone.
Report abuse
GIZZA JOB DAVE
Report abuse
Cameron panders to his euro sceptic backbenchers and the City of London to save his own skin.
Report abuse
Financial service regulations are decided by qualified majority voting. We have no veto over this and I wouldn’t hold out much hope that any EU states will support us. So eventually Britain will be unable to do anything to defend the City of London from the EU financial service regulations. Time for a referendum.
Report abuse
Err, no Liam, the EU cannot impose taxation – which is what they are proposing with regards to the financial industry. That’s what the other 26 states are now signing up to – fiscal union. Regulation is not the same as taxation.
Report abuse
Speaking en route to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, which opened on Friday morning in Perth, Australia, Cameron said: “London is the centre of financial services in Europe. It’s under constant attack through Brussels directives. It’s an area of concern, it’s a key national interest that we need to defend.”
He obviously thinks he can defend the City of London.
Report abuse
Well done DC, now is the time for a referendum on the EU , out out out……………..
Report abuse
In,in,in.
Report abuse
Out,out,out!
Report abuse
Shake it all about
Report abuse
Out to what? Cameron’s move here is just to protect the super-rich Tory backers of the City of London. The ordinary Joe’s of this country had much to gain from membership of the EU but our masters have cherry-picked whatever suited their supporters at the time and ridiculed the rest through their friends in the right-wing press. All the stories about regulating the straightness of bananas etc, just enough to stir up Sun-readers against Johnny Foreigner. Edward Heath took us in during the 1970′s for the benefit of farmers. Cameron is carrying on that tradition for his paymasters. The rest of us can lump it.
Report abuse
How dare you suggest the right wing press tried to whip up plebeian hatred of Johnny Foreigner.
Their motives were entirely honest.
They want us out of the EU to avoid regulations on media ownership.
Report abuse
So the Boy Dave has upset Po Pace and her Dwarf. Der, der dums . . . Expect some retaliation such as health scares about British meat exports and a helping hand for migrants trying to enter GB illegally.
Report abuse
Without the EU, there probably wouldn’t have been an export market for British meat after the BSE crisis.
Report abuse
Or maybe expect Scotland to secede the union and stay with the EU.
Report abuse
We find ourselves a bit like the relative you don’t like to invite for Christmas dinner. In case we upset the family. Let the German Chancillor and her lap dog sort the Euro out if they can. Up till now they have done nothing but dither and try to hold it together with sticking plaster. Time is running out.
Report abuse
But don’t you think that was the point ?
How do you avoid that unwanted relative coming for Christmas – you set them up a Hobson’s Choice. One where they have to veto. Oh the hosts may show indignation, but in reality it’s what they wanted.
Not that the Christmas dinner is going to be much more than scraps this year (figuratively and literally).
Report abuse
I think there are very legitimate reasons for Euroscepticism – for a start, the loss of parliamentary sovereignty which further integration entails is undeniable.
But David Cameron doesn’t give a damn about that. For a start, what legitimate right does he have to negotiate on the UK’s behalf, given that, even under our distorted electoral system, his party didn’t win an outright majority?
Secondly, his interest is in his city mates who made his toast at Eton and continue to bankroll his party. Rags like the Sun, with the Star not far behind it seems, will hail Cameron as some sort of Churchillian figure, fighting on the beaches and keeping those nasty Europeans at bay. They’re missing the point of course, because if you’re going to be in the EU at all – and Cameron isn’t yet suggesting complete withdrawal – you need to do your negotiating from the inside rather than from across the drawbridge, as even Thatcher realised. The biggest irony of all is that even the city boys Cameron thought he was protecting are now uneasy about his antics on Friday.
These are difficult matters and I don’t think many of us (at least not those of us who give them a bit of thought) know the answers. But I do know I don’t want incompetents like Cameron or Osborne, people who got where they are by birthright rather than merit, taking vital decisions on my country’s behalf.
Report abuse
Note to all:
There are other countries and therefore trading partners outside of Europe. The EU is not the be all and end all as we well know. Think China, Brazil and India with their growing economies.
The problem here is people are looking inwardly rather than at the bigger picture and what is best for the UK in the long run.
The Euro monetary system as it currently stands is doomed, even the experts acknowledge that it was never right from it’s inception. Therefore, why should the UK continue to contribute to a failing system, especially when its not even our own currency.
We are all guilty of making assumptions, casting dispersons about our elected representatives without knowing the real reasons behind the veto. Lets see the facts so we can ALL understand why he arrived at that decision in the first place!
Report abuse
Aren’t we forgetting the real reason for the Brussels summit? It was to rescue the Euro by dressing it in new clothes to persuade investors it is still an attractive currency. But whatever the makeover, the Euro is doomed.
Look behind the scenes, particularly at the Club Med members, and you will find civil unrest (Greece) and destitution in small inland towns, with up to 50% unemployment (Portugal, Spain and Cyprus). In one small town in Portugal I saw people scavenging for food behind shops and the local mayor has cancelled the town’s Christmas lights because his council has run out of money.
These are matters the Euro was supposed to remedy. GB is already contributing almost £120 billion (net) a year to the EU and is one of the top four benefactors yet plays no role in Euro decision-making. Why therefore must we be expected to surrender more powers and more £s to support a currency which has failed miserably in the 12 years since it was launched.
People may complain there is now a two-speed Europe, but my understanding is that the outside lane is for overtaking.
Report abuse
Woody, Nick, I’m inclined to agree with you on the Euro, especially with the point that it ‘wasn’t right from its inception’. But it’s a failure of logic to go from there to suggesting that Cameron’s policy of isolating himself and our country was the right one. Our economic future and the Eurozone’s are inextricably bound, for the time being at least.
As for the notion of China, India and Brazil as trading partners for a detached UK, I find that fanciful too. Those countries have done well out of EU trade, so why risk sacrificing that to do separate deals with a country that’s decided to cut itself off in the mid-Atlantic? You didn’t mention the Americans there – quite wisely I think, because, other than as partners in hare-brained military adventures, they’re not going to have much more than the time of day for an isolated UK either.
And as we know, the EU isn’t only about pure trade ; our foreign policy voice is stronger when we speak with the EU on matters of common interest. Even William Hague admits that.
I still have only two explanations for what Cameron did ; either he was trying to protect his city chums or he’s an amateur – an aristocrat but an amateur, unable to impress outside his own narrow circles. With nothing but public school-honed smoothness to offer, he found himself out of his depth amongst the other leaders.
Report abuse
Or he was just the first person to have the bottle to say this isn’t in our interests. Gang culture works on strong leaders intimidating the others into keeping quiet, by threats or humiliation. It only takes one to stand up for others to start to follow.
An extract from a Reuters report implies that we might be the first but it is unlikely that we will be the last not signing the treaty.
“Several of the non-euro zone governments that went along with the new inter-governmental plan on fiscal union, including Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic, still need parliamentary approval before they can give their full backing to the move.
Sweden said on Tuesday it was uncertain about signing up to the pact, raising the possibility of it joining Britain on the sidelines.
“There are a number of countries that are not all sure what they are being asked to sign up to,” the source was quoted as saying. “
Report abuse