News from Labour Matters

Tory MEP Daniel Hannan resigns from frontbench Euro role

MEP Daniel Hannan who was only promoted to the Conservatives’ frontbench in Europe for the first time two months ago quit today to campaign for a referendum on Europe.

Writing in his Daily Telegraph blog, the right-wing MEP who infamously called the NHS “a sixty year mistake”, wrote:

“But there is nothing to prevent us having a referendum on whether we, as a country, participate in its provisions. After all, the 1975 referendum was a retrospective ballot, held to ratify the “better terms” negotiated by the Wilson ministry. I made the case for a referendum on Lisbon in this blog two years ago, and I haven’t changed my mind.”

Adding “I have returned to the back benches in order to concentrate on building such a movement.”

Meanwhile, France’s Europe Minister has described Cameron’s new European policy as “autistic” and “pathetic”, warning that they will not succeed “for a minute”.

“It’s pathetic. It’s just very sad to see Britain, so important in Europe, just cutting itself out from the rest and disappearing from the radar map … This is a culture of opposition … It is the result of a long period of opposition. I know they will come back, but I hope the trip will be short,” reports The Guardian.

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