This 'Conservative' publishes a blog under the title of "Straight Talking", yet straight talking is not a feature of the content which appears. Over the last few days Autonomous Mind has posted on Roger Helmer (here. here and here) in which he castigates Helmer for his stance and writing, accusing him of being a faux eurosceptic.
In his latest post Helmer comments on the recent YouGov poll which found that the majority of voters wish to leave (52%) against the minority (30%) who wish to stay in. This poll also found that 60% of the public (74% of Conservative voters) want an In/Out EU referendum, while only 25% (19% of Tories) don’t. The fact that this poll was commissioned by Nikki Sinclaire, Independent (Ex-UKIP MEP), provides Helmer the opportunity of making a sarcastic and unwarranted 'side-swipe' at a politician from another party. I make no comment on Ms. Sinclaire, her reasons for not wishing to sit with UKIP MEPs, nor the party's decision to eject her - and neither should Helmer, unless of course he is not a gentleman.
The fact that it is obvious Helmer has 'softened' his views on the Conservative Party's European Union Bill coupled with their 'change from within' policy; and comes to the defence of a fellow faux eurosceptic (ex-MEP, now MP, Christopher Heaton-Harris) leaves Helmer rather floundering, when the question of principle is raised. On the subject of the term 'eurosceptic' Autonomous Mind has posted here and here; pointing out that the term now has no meaning where opposition to this country's membership of the EU is concerned and proposes replacing it with the word 'Withdrawalist', where as I tend more to use of the word 'Anti-EU' - but hey, who's arguing.......
It has also long been obvious that David Cameron allows his 'eurosceptic' MPs and MEPs to promote their opposition to his policy and reasons for membership as it 'promotes' the idea that the Conservative Party is 'eurosceptic' by nature when the opposite is so obviously the case (example in Helmer's last two paragraphs in the post to which I link above). If Helmer and Hannan, who are both signatories to Better Off Out, which is in total opposition to the policy of David Cameron, it begs the question why are they still members of the Conservative Party? Principles? Well, as Groucho Marx is reputed to have said: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."
2 comments:
I have been absolutely clear that Britain should leave the EU, so at least we agree on that. You must allow me to differ on the best way to propomte that cause. And as I have said so often, it would be nice if more eurosceptics could turn their fire on the EU, rather than on other eurosceptics.
RH: Roger, you are either in our out on the subject of EUI membership. As a signatory to the BOO campaign acceptance of repatriation and the rest of the smokescreen that is being put up by your Leader leads one to believe that you too are sitting on the fence.
The fact that you consider yourself a eurosceptic, when that term has been high jacked by those who would appear to accept partial membership, shows as far as I am concerned your beliefs to be questionable. In any event, the fact that Bill Cash now labels eurosceptics as eurorealists stretches the position of those like him and you even further.
If you really believe that "it would be nice if more eurosceptics could turn their fire on the EU, rather than on other eurosceptics", then how come you turn your fire on Nikki Sinclair, a renowned anti-EU MEP? 'Double standards'? But hey, I forgot you are a Conservative so double standards is 'par for the course', isn't it - a characteristic you have inherited from your Leader?
If you find yourself in the company of those whose beliefs you find unacceptable, then the obvious course of action is to get up and leave. If you are, as you maintain, an 'outer', then surely you have only one course of action and that is to leave a political party whose views you are diametrically opposed to.
But then politics is now a career, isn't it and bears no relation to representing the views of those who elected you. Coupled with which the manifesto on which you stood has been shown to be nothing but a sham and a lie - yet another reason why a man of principle would walk away.
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