Wednesday, December 13, 2006

EU Tug of War

Developments within the EU were on my agenda yesterday. Firstly a 'prominent' Conservative hoping to become an AM telephoned me for advice about whether to make a public commitment to support the campaign to withdraw the UK from the EU. It seems that several Conservative MP's and MEP's have already made such a commitment. I could not offer any clear advice but I hope there is room in our party for people who hold non-mainstream views. I also said that I would not myself be signing up to such a campaign.

And last night I met the delightfully friendly Raduta Matache, the Acting Ambassador for Romania and the equally friendly and imposing Charge d'Affair for Bulgaria . We were all guests of Andy Klom, Head of the EU Commission Office in Wales at a reception at Caspian Point. Both representatives made a nice speech, Ms Matache having gone to the trouble to learn several phrases in the Welsh Language.

Two small incidents! Maybe. But I do believe they are representative of the split in UK opinion. It is interesting that in East European countries the EU is seen as the way to a better future and a safer world, while in the UK even non -withdrawalists like me see excessive regulation and bureaucratic waste before we see the pluses.

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