Watson spells out 'game plan' after pulling out of presidency

By Martin Banks - 9th July 2009

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Graham Watson has spelt out his game plan for the next two years - and hit back at criticism that his presidency candidacy was "doomed to fail."

Watson formally withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday, 24 hours after EPP leader Joseph Daul told a meeting of his group that the former ALDE leader had pulled out of the race for parliament's top job.

That prompted Belgian Liberal Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroek, president of the pan-European ELDR party, to suggest that the Scot had adopted the "wrong" strategy in his campaign, saying he should have launched it "much earlier."

She said he faced an "embarrassingly heavy defeat" in his bid to replace Hans-Gert Pottering as president and suggested it was a candidacy that was "doomed to fail."

Another ALDE member said his last-minute withdrawal as "humiliating and farcical."

His withdrawal came on the eve of a much-trumpeted debate in parliament yesterday supposedly between the main candidates for the post. In the event, the only credible candidate taking part in the two-hour debate was Pole Jerzy Buzek, of the EPP group.

But, even so, a defiant Watson told this website on Thursday that he had "no regrets" over his decision to stand for the post or to pull out this week.

"Annemie is entitled to her opinion but I do not recall her saying any of these things over the last couple of years or so," he said.

"The fact is that I did my best and have no regrets at all. In the end, the logical thing was to fall on my sword."

He said that part of an "agreement" with the EPP and Socialists, parliament's other main political groups, ALDE had been offered the chair of a new committee on the economic crisis.

"I was offered the chair but declined because it is not my sphere of expertise and does not particularly fit in with my game plan for the next two years," he said. "Even so, I am satisfied with the deal we have struck."

When pressed on his game plan Watson said he planned to focus more on work which "will not involve holding a parliamentary office."

"This will involve more personal work, such as writing a book on the contributions of Liberal Democrats to the EU over the past 10 years," he said.

"I also want to spend more time with my family. One of the disadvantages of occupying a high-profile role in parliament as I have done for the past 10 years is that you do not get to spend as much time with your family as you would like. That is something I aim to correct in the next parliament."

Watson, whose family have lived near Bristol in south-west England for 16 years, is also his group's nominee for to lead the key delegation to China.

The deputy, who used to work in Hong Kong, has been a fierce critic of China, saying the EU arms embargo on China should continue.