Bill Cash blows top at Ken Clarke on EU

Bill Cash MP has blown his top at fellow Conservative and Shadow frontbencher Ken Clarke... over Europe.

When he was admitted into the Shadow Cabinet, Ken Clarke was made to accept that the Conservative Party's position on Europe was fixed.

Yet EU-loving Clarke told the BBC Politics Show today that if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, then the Conservative Party will not try to overturn it in the United Kingdom and the debate about the Lisbon Treaty will not be reopened.

He says that the Conservative Party's "will not let matters rest there" comment refers to discussion to repatriate control in limited areas.

In saying that there will be no Conservative attempt to overturn the UK's co-operation with the Lisbon Treaty if it comes in to force - pending the Irish referendum ("Wrong answer! Try again!") - Ken Clarke has caused a massive row.

Bill Cash is on TV and in print media demanding to know on whose authority Ken Clarke was making his remarks.

And the Conservative mask seems to be slipping. A spokesman for the party is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying that if the Lisbon Treaty is in force by the time they come to power, then the tame action they would be seeking amounts to: "...the return of social and employment legislation to UK control would be a major goal for a Conservative Government".

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says: "This statement just goes to show that all the Tory promises during the European Election campaign about holding a referendum can now be seen to be sheer, brass-necked dishonesty. If Cameron's Conservatives cannot be trusted not to dissemble on this vital matter, how can anybody trust them on anything else? Of course we saw that 60% of those who voted on the June 4 voted against the Treaty, but they are not the only ones who are denied their say. Britain deserves a referendum, and deserves to be shot of both this government and the dishonest opposition. UKIP will have more than 500 candidates in the next general election and we plan to fight every inch of the way to allow our people a say in their own future. Nothing else is acceptable."

This blog agrees with Nigel. No surprise there. Anyway, Cameron and Hague... care to comment? We'll be watching the Conservative website very closely... if this is Conservative Policy that Ken Clarke has let slip, then they are a misleading disgrace. If, however, he was speaking without front bench or policy unit authority, then Cameron must sack him from the frontbench as he has damaged trust in the Tories on the very important EU issue. Not that they merited much trust on it in the first place.