By Martin Banks - 10th December 2009
This exposes the incoherence of David Cameron's approach to Europe
Denis MacShane
The leader of the Conservative group in the Committee of the Regions has defended the decision to remain with the European People's Party.
Gordon Keymer was responding to criticism from former Labour government minister Denis MacShane.
MacShane said that while local government leaders had "defied" party leader David Cameron by staying as full members of the EPP centre-right grouping, Tory MEPs had broken away to form a "controversial alliance with eastern European extremists".
In the CoR, the assembly of regional and local government leaders in Europe, the five UK Conservative members are staying as full EPP members.
Cameron's decision to pull his Tory MEPs out of the EPP and form a new alliance with members from mostly ex-communist countries has been roundly criticised.
"This exposes the incoherence of David Cameron's approach to Europe. He pulls his MEPs out of the EPP but takes no action as his local government team stay with the EPP group in the Committee of the Regions," said MacShane, a former Europe minister.
"The Tories are becoming a laughing stock as Cameron forges an alliance with weirdoes from east Europe in Brussels but then stays in bed with the EPP group in the increasingly influential CoR.
"This may sound like Euro anorak stuff but it reveals the deep unhappiness of Tory council leaders at the posturing of shadow foreign minister William Hague's isolationist policies.
"Undoubtedly the publicity over the unsavoury nature of Cameron's friends from Poland and Latvia with their views on Jewish massacres in WWII or the Waffen SS in Latvia have upset many Conservatives who want a grown-up relationship with Europe."
Keymer, a Tory councillor who leads the 24-strong UK delegation in the CoR, hit back. He said, "The CoR is not parliament. It is less political and the parameters are different.
"We are here to represent local government and it was decided that it would be in the best interests of both the delegation, the CoR and EU taxpayers to stay in the EPP," said Keymer, a member of Tandridge district council near London.
"If you do not belong to a political party in the CoR you are in a very difficult position."
Speaking of Cameron's decision to withdraw from the EPP, he said, "He gave an undertaking to do so and I fully understand it."
The CoR will enjoy wide consultative powers under the provisions of the Lisbon treaty.
