Criticism on Tony Blair EU presidency

The last Westminster Hall debate examining the UK’s relationship with the European Union before the recess is looked back by Parliamentary researcher Michael Courtney, says the ePoliti.com.

The ePoliti.com says according to Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, “the next Conservative government will veto Tony Blair’s candidacy for president of the European Union”.

Daniel and other Tory backbenchers at the Westminster Hall debate last Tuesday argued that Blair is the wrong choice to bring transparency and accountability, and Labour is the reason for cold relations between the UK and the EU.

Daniel Kawczynski, with support from Nigel Evans and Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Ribble Valley and Rayleigh respectively, says Tony Blair quipped about his “outrageous conduct” in the Commons, his decision to go to war despite widespread condemnation from the public, as well as he often “looks bored in European Union meetings”.

The ePoliti.com went on to say Evans condemned the former Labour prime minister’s failure to honour the promise of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was the “worst display of democracy” in this country.

Evans was further supported when Kawczynski pointed out that 20 to 40-year-old born British and presently living in the UK have never been consulted on relations with the EU, as there has been no public vote on the issue since 1975.

Apart from the above opinions, Kawczynski continued to raise another issue of a decaying UK dairy industry thanks to the EU.

Liberal Democrat spokesman on foreign affairs Ed Davey also supported the backbencher’s argument that Labour gold-plates legislature from Brussels produced mixed results.

It is not only the ePoliti.com who has published Conservative’s criticism on Tony Blair. Daniel Hannan, both a Conservative MEP for South East England and a journalist, also wrote to the Daily Telegraph saying he is wondering if Tony Blair bought the EU presidency with British taxpayers’ money.

Five years ago on the last EU budget negotiation, Tony Blair had initially pledged not to surrender the British rebate in any circumstances, but then he said he might agree to a slight reduction in return for a comprehensive reform of the Commons Agricultural Policy (CAP).

In the event, Daniel Hannan wrote Tony Blair gave the rebate for nothing. Far from streamlining the CAP, the EU raised the budget percentage dedicated to agriculture from 50 to 58 per cent.

Daniel Hannan continued as the Britain had an absolute right of veto, the deal could not be approved. There was no reason whatsoever to sign away Brits’ billions of pounds to the EU.

The Conservative MEP asked what made Blair do it?

He then went on to say at precisely that moment, EU leaders were creating the post of President of Europe instead of the current rotating presidency.

According to Daniel Hannan, Tony Blair might think the rebate would bolster his claim for the top job after he had handed over his premiership following the coming general election.

Though the Conservative MEP also wrote he hoped what was in his mind was wrong, otherwise Tony Blair effectively betrayed his country for money.

However, more interestingly, an article from the Economist persuades readers to take a deep breath and calm down, the Charlemagne columnist declined Tony Blair has launched an EU presidency bid.

He blamed Glenys Kinnock, a new minister after years as an MEP, had messed things up as she puts “The UK government is supporting Tony Blair's candidature for president of the council” during the interview with British media.

The Charlemagne columnist said when Lady Kinnock had been asked about this question, the columnist assumed Kinnock was in a surprise, and she then meant to be enthusiastic but let the fact go too far as the way she answered the press.

What Kinnock meant, according to Economist, if Tony Blair were to become the candidate, then logically the Labour government would lobby for him.