Callanan: shift on fiscal pact recognises practical reality
Posted, January 30, 2012 @ 17:00
The leader of Britain's Conservative MEPs today acknowledged the Government's change of tack over the fiscal pact.
As leaders gathered in Brussels for this afternoon's meeting of the EU Council, Martin Callanan said: "There is no doubt that the Government's position has altered since the December summit when they were insisting the Institutions could not be used.
"I blame a combination of appeasing Nick Clegg (who is desperate to sign anything the EU puts in front of him) and the practical reality that this pact is actually quite hard to prevent. The Government would have to ask the ECJ to rule against itself having a role!
"Any action could easily take two years, we would probably lose and, if the Euro collapsed in the meantime, the UK would get the blame.
"It's particularly ironic when the EU lectures developing countries about the importance of good governance and the rule of law!"