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Eurosceptic policies could harm City, says Lord Mayor
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor17 Nov 2009
THhe City will suffer if a Tory government decides to "disengage" from Europe, the Lord Mayor of London has suggested.
In a thinly-veiled attack on David Cameron's new EU policy, Nick Anstee said: "Frankly, scepticism about Europe or even disengagement is yesterday's game. We need to be at the table shaping the future or others will."
Mr Cameron tried to buy off his party's Eurosceptics this month with a pledge to try to repatriate some British powers from Brussels.
Mr Anstee's remarks, made in a keynote speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall last night, were warmly applauded by the gathering of business chiefs.
The Lord Mayor also warned the Government it too had to engage more seriously with Brussels to stop European rivals from choking off the City. Financiers today condemned a proposal by Lib-Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable for banks to be hit with a new 10per cent tax on profits.
Reader views (3)
Maybe that other Mayor is more closely representing the wishes and aspirations of the people he REPRESENTS, Tom.
I would suggest that most people who are against the sell out hold their opinions because they were not allowed to have a say (in a supposedly "democratic" nation) in what direction THEIR nation was going in the future - I defy anyone of the guilty parties to show one bit of evidence that ANY of them went to the last election stating they would take the nation and give it away, ignoring dissent and breaking a typically false electioneering 'solemn' promise for a referendum on the subject, to a federal state which would not hesitate to change ANYTHING British if needed 'to fit in' with the rest of Europe. They won't because con artists seldom admit their guilt even when caught red-handed, they just rationalise excuses.
Dictators dictate because they believe themselves superior to the masses they control. Honest democratic leaders represent their constituent's views by and large. When are the gung-ho, federal state europhiles going to get that through their heads Tom? If you want to be 'European' - persuade! Don't take away the right to self determination with a pre-emptive act like this under-handed, deceitful, quid pro quo, bloodless coup.
- Rogan, Irving, 18/11/2009 04:13
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Tom, what we don't need is a spineless apologist like Brown leading us into Europe. We need someone who will question the motives of member states suggesting legislation and fight for the rights of Britain. Brown would happily cripple the City, and Europe would be delighted if he did as there is no other country in the Union that has such a strong financial sector. If France and Germany pushed through laws regulating finance to such a point that Europe lost all of its financial companies, only London would really suffer.
So yes we should be part of Europe, but on terms that don't cripple us.
- Ian, london, 17/11/2009 15:36
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Well said that Mayor. Is the other Mayor capable of paying attention to what people with a better grasp of the 21st century are saying*? Why do the Conservatives hate British business?
* No, he isn't.
- Tom, London, UK, 17/11/2009 10:58
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