Lib Dem Blog: An historic moment in Europe and in the coalition

The Yorker politics team has invited various political societies to provide a fortnightly comment on current affairs. Today it is the turn of the University of York Liberal Democrat Society.

Friday morning, 4am, and Nick Clegg receives a phone call. Over the past ten hours he has been kept closely involved in the discussions occurring two hundred miles away in Brussels. The issue: greater fiscal integration within Europe to prevent a European country from ever bringing us a close to the brink as we witnessed in Greece. The British Prime Minister’s response: he walks.

What we are now left with is a pact between 26 out of the 27 EU member states committing them to greater scrutiny of their budgets. All Eurozone countries involved will be required to keep their budgets in balance or surplus, with immediate sanctions for those that deviate. All budgets will be submitted at the European level, and if deemed unacceptable in debt management will be sent back for revision. A permanent bail-out mechanism has also been established, along with a commitment of resources to the IMF to help countries in difficulty.

This pact has emerged out of previous discussions to find an agreement to similar ends within the EU treaty structure. Britain held a veto over such proposals, and Cameron chose to call it in. Now we stand outside a historic move to further integration within Europe, and we do so alone.

As a Liberal Democrat, this is a frustrating event to me. We’re through the looking glass into a new Europe of Cameron’s making. What is worse is that he did so because he is the head of party with a significant Euro-sceptic wing. He argues that the initial proposals did not contain ‘safeguards of British interests’, but we are now in a place where we risk isolation, and that is the most damaging thing of all.

Nick Clegg has come out to flex his muscles on the issue, outspokenly slamming the veto and promising to work hard to mend relations in Europe. This is one of the most vocal disputes to face the coalition yet, particularly because it concerns an issue close to Clegg’s, and the party’s, heart. Frankly, we’re a little tired of tough talk and Euro-scepticism risking British interests. I’m just glad the Conservatives have us in government to add a touch of sense around an issue they can act rather irrational about for ideological reasons.

In the fallout of the events in Europe, though, one of the most interesting things has been what has been said here in Britain by our politicians. It was a surprising moment when Ed Milliband stood up and, whilst addressing the Liberal Democrats, offered to work with anybody who sees our current position as untenable to “find a better way forward for Britain”. There has been a certain amount of bad blood between the Lib Dems and Labour following the formation of the coalition, and this was a welcome good will gesture. Of course, it’s doubtful how much Milliband speaks for his party, and it is also easy to be cynical on the statement. Still, if you choose to view it as simply a piece of rhetoric, the fact Milliband even chose to go there within his rhetoric is telling. We still face the possibility of a hung parliament after 2015.

My personal favourite moment, though, was Nick Clegg sitting on Andrew Marr’s sofa stating clearly that if he was Prime Minister this would not have happened, because he is a different politician from a different party with different beliefs. Besides clearly showing where our party differs from the Tories and why we believe our side is the best for Britain, which always cheers up Lib Dem activists, it was quite cheering for a different reason. There should always be a few turned heads when a deputy undermines his superior in such an open way, and says why he would do better.

Jonathan Lancaster is Vice Chair of the Univeristy of York Liberal Democrats Society.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.