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Most political players have abandoned the pretence that today's elections to the European parliament have anything to do with Europe.
Rather, many are regarding the poll as a God-given opportunity to give the main parties a kicking.
Today attention is focused on the news that a group of Labour MPs is trying to force out the Prime Minister through a round-robin email. That tells us much about the standing of the European parliament. But it would be disastrous if a protest vote were to give the racist BNP a seat: we should vote for anyone but them.
Yet this election is indeed about Europe. And while, in domestic politics, there seems little to distinguish the parties, there are real differences between them on Europe. That makes a choice in this election easier.
Labour is instinctively pro-European, despite Gordon Brown's lack of enthusiasm. The Lib-Dems are the most integrationist of all, although their support for membership of the euro now seems a distant fantasy. It is worth reflecting that had Britain joined the euro, the country's capacity to respond to the credit crunch would have been far more constrained.
Meanwhile, the civil war within the Tory party on Europe is over, with victory going to the Eurosceptics. David Cameron's decision to leave the Centre-Right grouping within the European Parliament, which includes the parties of Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, in favour of an alliance with assorted Right-wing elements is controversial — even if it will pass most British voters by.
The Tories, too, appear to be seriously considering holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. That would irritate our European partners, though William Hague, the shadow Foreign Secretary, is right to say that the Treaty does significantly advance integration. If the majority of the British electorate is instinctively in favour of EU membership yet mildly Eurosceptic, then the Tories best reflect that sentiment. However, full-blooded Eurosceptics may yet vote for Ukip or Libertas UK.
The Greens, for their part, can achieve more to advance the environmentalist agenda in Europe, as part of a significant voting group, than in Westminster.
Yet the most important question facing the EU is not being discussed at all. That is whether to admit Turkey to full EU membership. All the major British parties favour the idea, yet the inclusion in the EU of a country only three per cent of which is actually in Europe, and whose 80 million people would have the right to live and work anywhere in the Union, could be explosive. A saner option would be to give Turkey a close economic relationship with the EU.
Instead, the election results will be read for their impact on Gordon Brown. Fair enough — but how we vote today will have serious consequences for us all through Europe.
Probation on trial
Dano Sonnex and Nigel Farmer, the murderers of two brilliant French students studying at Imperial College, were convicted today at the Old Bailey. The case was horrific, an orgy of bloodletting in which the young men were tortured to death at their flat in New Cross. Yet the victims' families now know that the young men would still be alive were it not for the gross incompetence of our probation service.
Sonnex, who had a history of violence and robberies, should have been in prison for an earlier offence; he was free because the paperwork for his case was not complete. There were administrative delays and poor communication between probation service, police and courts. The probation service is overstretched and plagued by the Government's obsession with keeping prison numbers down. And the new National Offender Management Service is a disgrace as a result of understaffing and bad management.
These murders are an indictment of our criminal justice system. A senior probation service manager has already resigned and the Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, has apologised to the victims' families. But more heads should yet roll to atone for these deaths.
Reader views (2)
But when have the European elections ever meant anything to do with the EU in the the UK media? When do newspapers and state radio and television in the UK ever truly cover meaningfully what the EU means? You say that "how we vote today will have serious consequences for us all through Europe", but without any form of explanation, that is just a cliche, to neatly end an opinion piece on 'why you should vote'. Nothing I have read in any UK media recently during this campaign explains why and if such a sentiment is true. Indeed most appear to be totally blinded to the impact of the EU on legislation in the UK, often attributing to politicians here the motive for legislation which is simply transposed on order by Directive from the EU.
- Damian Hockney, london, uk, 05/06/2009 01:53
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Can anyone work out what William Hague actually believes over Europe? Even his own ConservativeHome supporters are scratching their heads.
He worries about the Lisbon 'Constitution' Treaty which would maybe give 5% more power to the EU, while being quite content for the EU to rule about 85% of our lives. He is committed to staying in the EU, even though its rules forbid the return of any powers.
He just doesn't add up. And this man is hoping to be our next Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.
- Jools, London, 04/06/2009 15:39
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