Cameron delivers in Brussels

Fulfilling a promise made in his leadership campaign three years ago, David Cameron has pulled his Conservative MEPs out of the federalist European People’s Party Group in the European Parliament, and formed an entirely new grouping, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).  The new Group’s constitutive meeting this morning was attended by East Midlands MEPs Roger Helmer and newly-elected Emma McClarkin.
 
Critics had doubted whether the Conservatives could pull together the required 27 members and seven countries to create an officially recognised group.  In the event, the group was announced on Monday with eight countries and 55 members, but by Wednesday more members had joined and the country tally was up to ten.  It includes the Polish Law and Justice Party, the Czech ODS, and representatives from Belgium, Holland, Finland and other member-states.  The new group is committed to a mainstream, centre-right, euro-realist position, and will oppose further European integration.  ECR believes in a Europe of independent nations, trading and cooperating together, but it opposes the federalist vision of a “United States of Europe”.
 
Contrary to claims by opponents that Conservatives would lose influence outside the larger EPP group, the new Conservative Group is already attracting not only new members, but also the attention of those seeking office, like Commission President Barosso who is seeking re-election, and the candidates for the Presidency of the parliament, which will be determined in the next few weeks.  With numbers greater than predicted, the Conservative Group is close to controlling the swing vote in the parliament and decisively influencing key decisions.  It is clear that the EPP group will have no option but to seek the cooperation of the Conservative group if it wants to see its measures succeed.
 
Commenting on the launch of the new group, Emma McClarkin said “I am delighted to be starting my parliamentary career with this dynamic new grouping which shares our Conservative vision of a looser, more flexible, outward-looking Europe, based on trade and cooperation, not central political control”.  Roger Helmer added “I have been working and campaigning and lobbying for ten years to achieve a Conservative group in the European parliament.  Now for the first time we have a real opposition, which will speak up for all those citizens and voters in Britain, and in other member-states, who want less Europe, not more Europe”.