Airstrip One

The Tory Contribution to the European Convention 5th October 2002

Heathcote-Amory did speak at the Plenary Session of the European Convention on the 12th September 2002. Like Andrew Duff, he used his speech to set out the official position of his party on the future structure of the European Union.

As expected, he agrees that the European Union faces an unpopular series of electorates and that Europe dows not have a demos. And the European Convention itself:

The convention has so far excited little general interest, press coverage is limited and popular involvement almost non existent. The Convention debate with civic society was conducted largely with known interest groups and EU-subsidised institutions. There is a real danger that the Convention will degenerate into a bargaining process between existing institutions and vested interests.

One must ask how does a body that is degenerate degenerate? But, then again, the Tories have been asking that question of themselves for years.

How does one make an unworkable system work? The Tories give it a try. They fail, but some of the tests are passed, like the right to secede, removing most of the acquis communautaire, limiting the EU to core competencies.

This was interred on their website, in order to prevent any debate, though it does bear a certain similarity to the document that Heseltine, Clarke, Britten, Major and other has-beens put forward in September. So, is conservative policy on Europe now decided by the pro-Europeans, who are unwilling to observe any discipline and never shut up.

Still, this activity has a purpose. The Constitutional draft will be presented on the 28th October 2002 to the Convention. One to be marked in the diaries if they have the courage to publish it.