IDS: I’ll fight to quit EU if we can’t claw back powers
IAIN Duncan Smith yesterday became the first cabinet minister to indicate he will campaign to leave the EU unless the Prime Minister achieves major reforms. The Work and Pensions Secretary warned David Cameron that he must ‘step up the gas’ on Europe to claw back powers from Brussels.
He spoke out following Eurosceptic Tory MP Douglas Carswell’s dramatic defection to Ukip on Thursday. He said he disagreed with Mr Carswell’s decision but, as Ukip stepped up claims that more Tories are poised to defect, he acknowledged that the Conservatives need to do more.
Mr Duncan Smith, who made his name as a Tory rebel on Europe, said: ‘I will make my mind up when I see what the Prime Minister brings back and I will then campaign accordingly. When the Prime Minister comes back [from negotiations] he will have to decide himself what he campaigns for – he will have to decide whether what he has brought back is sufficient.’
Tory insiders yesterday said Mr Carswell’s move had piled pressure on Mr Cameron to pledge at october’s conference that he will lead the campaign to leave Europe if he cannot negotiate a better deal for Britain.
A senior Tory suggested it was ‘inevitable’, adding: ‘The only question now is whether he can afford to wait until conference.’
But another senior Tory said Mr Cameron was undecided about whether to make the announcement in his speech on october 1– only a week before the expected date of the by-election forced by Mr Carswell in his Clac- ton, Essex, constituency. ‘The question is whether it makes sense to try to draw a line under the European issue just a week before this very tricky by-election,’ the source said.
Mr Cameron last night warned potential Tory defectors their ‘bizarre’ behaviour could hand the election to Ed Miliband – and wreck hopes of an in/out referendum on Europe. He
‘See what he brings back’
said: ‘It does seem to me pretty strange to leave the party that is guaranteeing an in/out referendum and join the party that can’t guarantee anything apart from the danger of a Labour government.’
Ukip has stepped up predictions that more Tory and Labour MPs will join the party. Millionaire donor Stuart Wheeler confirmed revelations in yesterday’s Daily Mail that he has wined and dined eight Tory MPs and said he could ‘easily have got another eight’.
He said: ‘I didn’t say “Would you defect?”. I would say “Would you like to meet nigel Farage?”. Some said yes and obviously Douglas Carswell was one of them. The number of people I took out to lunch was about eight. now, I’m not saying they are all thinking of crossing the floor. But equally there is another eight I could have easily taken out.’
Mr Wheeler said at least two Tory MPs were now in serious talks about defecting. Ukip leader nigel Farage said it is also in talks with a small number of Eurosceptic Labour MPs.
He spent yesterday morning campaigning with Mr Carswell in Clacton. Mr Carswell denied he had been disloyal to Mr Cameron, but added: ‘once I realised that it was all about winning the election and not about real change, I said enough’s enough.’