Tory turmoil over EU vote

THE Tory turmoil that is now enveloping David Cameron’s Government is not just about Europe and the likelihood of a referendum vote on Britain’s continued membership of the EU. More significantly, it is now one of trust – and this is why the Prime Minister is left facing the most sustained threat to his authority since he became party leader in 2005.

Leaving aside the archane Parliamentary protocols which are, frankly, bewildering to ordinary voters now following this power struggle with incredulity, it is clear that a significant rump of Conservative MPs do not trust the motives of their leader – a conclusion that does not bode well for Mr Cameron. For, if they have so little faith in the Prime Minister, how can the public be expected to support him?

His difficulties are compounded by the fact that he is not entering this EU debate from a position of strength, even though it was Gordon Brown’s government that reneged on a commitment to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and the Tories are alone among the main Westminster parties in their commitment to giving the public a say on EU membership.

For, by omitting Europe from the Queen’s Speech and then announcing an intention to publish draft legislation that would commit a future Tory government to an EU referendum in 2017 once Britain’s relationship with Brussels has been renegotiated, Mr Cameron appears weak in the face of the electoral threat posed by Nigel Farage’s United Kingdom Independence Party, even though the latter still has no MPs.

And, having failed to discipline those Cabinet ministers like Philip Hammond and Michael Gove who are now advocating the country’s withdrawal from the EU, Mr Cameron now finds himself at the mercy of those Eurosceptics – and Ukip supporters – who will not relent until a definite date for a referendum is set in stone.

In most respects, Mr Cameron is right to play for time and put Britain’s interests first. That said,  his poor handling of the process threatens to undermine his well-intended strategy. And  there is one further irony. Tory disunity and self-destruction will play into the hands of the pro-Europe Labour and Lib Dems. Is that what his mutinous party really wants – or is its intention the removal of David Cameron as PM? Only time will tell.