Europe and the Tories - Yet Again No Answers ? - H.E. Letter 141107

The text below is the unedited version of a letter to the 'Herald Express' seeking clarification on the Tories' European policy. In what is becoming typical fashion, Marcus Wood Tory PPC for Torbay, preferred to attack the LD's than answer any points raised in my earlier letter(s).

Here is the letter published on 14 November 2008 :

Marcus Wood in his riposte to my earlier letter about Conservative Party policy on Europe chooses not to answer any of the points raised about the EU, but opts instead to attack the Liberal Democrats!

Contrary to his implied assertions I do indeed support a referendum on our membership of the EU as this would enable those of us of middle age and younger to have a say for the first time on this country's relationship with the rest of Europe. So why can't the Conservative Party's candidate support this position? Or is he afraid that were he to break ranks he would end up like the recently sacked candidate for Rowley Regis who spoke his mind?

Having brought about ever closer European integration via the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty without referenda whilst in office, is it not hypocritical to demand such when in opposition now ? A direct answer from the Conservative Party's mouthpiece in Torbay would be welcome, and possibly a first since he moved here to fight the Torbay seat and pursue his career in politics!

Thirdly, if leaving the moderate and influential centre-right EU grouping - the EPP - is the correct course for the Conservative Party, why wait until 2009? Again a straight-forward question deserving of an answer from someone who wants the votes of local people.

Finally, I want to put on record that Adrian Sanders MP did support a bay wide referendum on having an elected mayor, even though he and other Lib Dems like myself knew it would risk ending up as we have done with a more expensive model of local government. That, as Mr Wood learnt at the least General Election when he received fewer votes than the previous Conservative losing candidate, is democracy.