A Conservative government would promote continued European Union expansion to Turkey and the Balkans despite the party’s calls for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, George Osborne has revealed.
Speaking at Keele University in Staffordshire, the shadow chancellor insisted that Turkey was a part of Europe as well as a being a bridge to Asia. Without the Lisbon Treaty being passed, no further EU enlargement can take place.
But Osborne said: “We are passionate advocates of enlargement, we should continue with that agenda. One of the great successes of the EU was to bring countries into an alliance; it was a fantastic achievement.”
The Tories would lobby the EU to return national control of employment and social laws. They would also propose a £1bn reduction in the supranational body’s budget and 25 per cent less regulation from Europe, said Osborne.
“We need to get more for less out of the EU – it remains too introverted and too centralised, it does not communicate with citizens and the Lisbon Treaty is a step too far,” he added. “Europe has become disconnected from the people and we want to give citizens a voice in EU institutions.”
The Labour Party’s European election manifesto focused on attacking alleged Tory cuts to public services. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “Labour has a clear plan for a prosperous British future and more than ever we need the jobs that depend on the EU.”
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg claimed that “Labour’s arrogance had messed up Britain’s relationship with other European countries” while the Conservatives were with UKIP in thinking that the UK could combat the recession, climate change, international crime and terrorism “on its own”.
Public Service June 02, 2009