Conservatives turn their backs on Europe

3.42.45pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 10th May 2009

Liberal Democrats launch their European Parliament campaign for the South East Region in Oxford

As reported in The Times, David Cameron has been embarrassed by one of his MEPs who received a standing ovation after attacking the Conservative Leader in the European Parliament. Christopher Beazley, an MEP for the East of England, said that Mr Cameron was seriously wrong in seeking to "rip up 30 years of work by Tory pro-Europeans" in order to reach No 10.

Mr Beazley's criticism followed remarks by fellow MEP Caroline Jackson this week when she labelled Mr Cameron "dotty" and "pathetic" for pulling the Conservatives out of the main centre-right grouping in the European Parliament. Both MEPs are standing down at the European elections next month and are dismayed at Mr Cameron's plans to find new allies with whom to form a Eurosceptic centre-right group.

Said Wantage and Didcot Lib Dem spokesman Alan Armitage: "The Conservatives are turning their backs on the mainstream parties of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Sarkozy of France. Mr Cameron would prefer to associate with really nasty parties, such as the Polish Law and Justice Party, which banned gay marches in Poland for being "sexually obscene".

The Times reported Mr Beazley as telling fellow MEPs that he was proud of pro-European Conservatives such as Sir Winston Churchill, Ted Heath and Lord Patten of Barnes. He added: "The leader of my party, Mr David Cameron, has made a serious mistake. He thinks that by becoming anti-European in the House of Commons this will secure him the premiership of my country. I, as a British Conservative, reserve the right to object. If my party leader seeks to rip up 30 years of work by British Tory pro-Europeans, he is wrong."

Mrs Jackson, the only female Conservative MEP, told a meeting that withdrawing from the centre-right group, the European People's Party (EPP), would "sow the seeds of endless trouble". She added: "It will leave David Cameron and William Hague very isolated because it will leave bad blood with Christian Democrat parties throughout Europe. It is a stupid, stupid policy. The party will probably have to creep back to the EPP and say sorry. The Tories are doing this because the party is run by people whose ultimate agenda is to pull Britain out of the EU. I have been a member of the Conservative Party since 1963 and started working for the Conservative Research Department in 1973. This is one of the most dotty escapades the Conservative Party has ever embarked on."

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Christopher Beazley and Caroline Jackson are both standing down at the European elections. All candidates standing for election have signed an agreement saying that they will join the new group which will be a centre-right non-federalist group."