Howard sets out “vision” for Europe’s future
Tory leader Michael Howard has set out his “vision” for Europe’s future.
He says Britain should “remain a positive and influential member of the European Union”.
In a speech to the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Berlin entitled “A New Deal for Europe”, Mr Howard said: “Faced with a new EU initiative, our traditional response has often been to oppose it, to vote against it, to lose the vote, then sulkily to adopt it while blaming everyone else.
“You are understandably sick of constant British vetoes. And shall I tell you something? So am I.”
Mr Howard said he wanted to embrace a “flexible Europe”, where nations can opt-out of new initiatives without “fraught negotiations”.
He called on European governments to seize the “unique opportunity” of May’s EU enlargement to “build a Europe that is flexible”.
Mr Howard said he was opposed to a “rigid straitjacket of uniformity” imposed on all member states, wanting instead room for countries to “breathe”.
“My policy is simple. Live and let live. Flourish and let flourish. That is a modern and mature approach,” he said.
“The nations of Europe should come together as a series of overlapping circles: different combinations of member states should be able to pool their responsibilities in different areas of their own choosing,” he added.
But, crucially, Mr Howard reiterated his party’s opposition to the single currency, the European rapid reaction force and the proposed EU constitution.
Tony Blair was also in Germany last night for a meeting with chancellor Gerhard Schroder, ahead of next week’s trilateral summit between the UK, France and Germany.
