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Dave's dilemmas
June 16, 2006 3:34 PM
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in Liberal Democrat News
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in Liberal Democrat News
As a London MEP, I must start by urging all Liberal Democrat News readers to hotfoot it to Bromley & Chislehurst to help get Ben Abbotts elected. Go early, go often!
Our campaigners can be assured that even if we get into the spirit by displaying the 'England' flag on Ben's posters, there is no contradiction in affirming the Liberal Democrat commitment to Europe. Recent polls showed 65% of people (70% of LibDem voters) see this country's future in the EU and 85% want "more Europe" in the fight against terrorism.
Liberal Democrats insist there is much more work to do to ensure the EU adds value and acts democratically. But when you have the sensible majority of the country understanding that isolation is not splendid, there is no need to trim towards the loony fringe. Let UKIP and the Tory mini-Englanders fight each other.
Much mirth over the tragicomedy of David Cameron's will-he won't-he EPP saga. Will he carry through his panic leadership campaign pledge to haul the Tories out of the centreright European People's Party of Angela Merkel and Jacques Chirac (oh yes, and Berlusconi) in favour of hard right parties affected by anti-semitism and homophobia? If it had not been for London commitments, I would have joined ALDE friends in Warsaw last weekend for a Gay Pride march Dave's mates tried to ban.
Cuddly Dave's claim to position the Tories in the 'liberal' centre ground is also undermined by London MEP Charles Tannock this week voting against the European Parliament report which says European governments must come clean on CIA 'torture flights'.
Ming Campbell's speech last Thursday was an invigorating boost, proof that this is the only party of reform and substance. I felt very comfortable at the weekend demonstrating with London colleagues against Heathrow expansion, knowing that our party is united in willing both a sustainable future and the policies to tackle climate change, such as an aircraft 'pollution charge', necessary to deliver that.
I was able to tell the No to Third Runway demo that I had never in 7 years flown to Brussels, always taking the train to our main European Parliament base. As I write this on my Blackberry on a 3-hour delayed flight on the monthly Strasbourg trek, a colleague advises meditation to keep travelling-circus rage at bay.
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