PM ‘losing control’ over Europe, says Howe

Lord Howe, whose differences with Baroness Thatcher over Europe led to his resignation and triggered her downfall, said David Cameron had “opened a Pandora’s box politically” through his plan to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the European Union.

In a strongly-worded attack he said the Tory leadership was “running scared” of its backbenchers and had allowed Euroscepticism to “infect the very soul of the party”.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Howe said the row over the lack of legislation paving the way for the prime minister’s referendum by 2017, which led to a total of 116 Tories opposing the government’s legislative programme, marked a “new, almost farcical, low” for the party.

He wrote: “Sadly, by making it clear in January that he opposes the current terms of UK membership of the EU, the prime minister has opened a Pandora’s box politically and seems to be losing control of his party in the process.

“The ratchet-effect of Euroscepticism has now gone so far that the Conservative leadership is in effect running scared of its own backbenchers, let alone Ukip, having allowed deep anti-Europeanism to infect the very soul of the party.

“The risk now is that, if it loses the next general election – a far from negligible possibility – the Conservative party will move to a position of simply opposing Britain’s continued membership, with or without a referendum.”

‘Humbling ambitions’

Lord Howe said the United States looked to the UK to play a leading role in Europe and leaving the EU would “be a tragic expression of our shrinking influence and role in the word”.

The former chancellor added it would represent “the humbling of our ambitions, already sorely tested by the current crisis, to remain a serious political or economic player on the global stage”.

He claimed “clear thinking” and “strong leadership” was needed to protect the UK’s status within the EU.

“Last week has shown that the Conservative party’s long, nervous breakdown over Europe continues and what is essentially a Tory problem is now, once again, becoming a national problem. Serious mistakes have been made, but the situation is not irretrievable,” he wrote.

“What is needed is a mixture of clear thinking, strong leadership and an overriding concern for the national interest, not party management or advantage.

“If the Conservative party is losing its head, a heavy responsibility now rests with Labour and the Liberal Democrats to hold their nerve and stick to a path they know to be right. In the complex and interdependent world we inhabit today, to walk away from the European Union into the unknown would be a very dangerous choice indeed.”