Right-wingers say Cameron is going through motions of ‘banging table’
CONSERVATIVE Right-wingers fired a warning shot across David Cameron’s bows today after claims he plans to stage a mock fight with the French to prove his eurosceptic credentials.
Amid claims a “bang the table” row would be orchestrated, Tory MPs issued a list of specific demands that would act as “a litmus test” of whether it was good enough.
John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billeric ay, said the key test was whether Parliament would “gain the abil
ity to strike down any unwanted EU legislation, directives or taxes”.
He wrote on ConservativeHome: “Regaining such sovereignty would ensure we regained control of large swathes of our daily lives, including control of our borders, laws and regulations. Anything short of this is of secondary importance.”
Weekend reports said former health secretary Andrew Lansley told business leaders the Prime Minister planned to “choreograph” a row with French president François Hollande before putting his negotiations to voters.
Another senior Tory had claimed it was vital for the talks to have some “theatre” to persuade voters that the Prime Minister had fought hard for Britain in the negotiations.
Ukip MP Douglas Carswell accused Mr Cameron of “cynical manipulation”, saying: “I’m afraid this is exactly the sort of thing we would expect from the sofa gang in Downing Street.
“They believe that people are eurosceptic because they want to be rude to foreigners, and think they will appease them by confecting a row with the French president.”
Mr Lansley, who now works for a PR firm expected to play a role in the referendum’s Yes campaign, said EU supporters would have to use every available method to keep Britain in, adding: “For years, many senior Conservatives have defined Europe in negative terms. It will be a dramatic change of gear to say to voters: ‘Europe is in our interests’.”
A senior Tory source said: “Andrew L ansley does not speak for David Cameron.”
The row comes as the chairman of a Government taskforce said jobless young adults will face losing benefits unless they take part in a “boot camp” to get them ready for the world of work. Cabinet Office minister Matthew Hancock said the measure was part of the Government’s goal of ending a “welfare culture” in some communities.
The chairman of the cross-Government “Earn or Learn” implementation taskforce said he would take a “no excuses” approach.
‘The sofa gang in Downing Street think they’ll appease people by confecting a row with Hollande’
Douglas Carswell