Tory-Lib Dem coalition threatened by secret hardline memo on Europe

[mr blur]

David Cameron's hopes of forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats were dramatically undermined last night by the leaking of a top-secret letter outlining the hardline Eurosceptic stance he and William Hague planned to adopt in government.

The document, obtained by the Observer, is headed "draft letter from Foreign Secretary to Prime Minister" and was written last week. It assumed an outright Tory victory and spelt out how Hague intended to adopt a tough approach to Europe at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels tomorrow.

In the letter, compiled by civil servants but written in the first person, Hague tells Cameron how his message would be that "the British relationship with the EU has changed with our election" to one firmly against any further integration.

<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/09/liberal-democrat-tory-coalition-threatened-eurosceptic

Lord Snooty on the ropes?

[non sociopath skin]

1. Can't see why this makes a difference.

The Tories' alliances in Europe say it all, as Clegg himself pointed out. So he clearly already knows that, in the event of a Tory-LibDem alliance, this is what he's signing his party and the country up to.

The Skin

[miscsoc]

2. yeah, also it was written when they were expecting an outright victory

It's no more an obstacle to a coalition (alas) than any other Tory planning document, and it is hardly a surprise.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. With Salmond saying that the SNP would support an anti-Tory alliance

Clegg has gotten more bargaining power with Cameron. Clegg is a fool to accept anything less than PR from the Tories. If the Tories had any sense they'd offer PR on the condition that the Lib Dems supply confidence votes for five years, basically a full parliament.

The Tories could gamble on a "no" in a PR referendum, although if it goes against them at least they'd get five years of sticking it to the poor and giving the super wealthy one last knees up before giving up the opportunity of imposing their will on the 60% who oppose them.

As long as Brown isn't too obstinate about PR, he might get a full term as PM with Lib Dem and nationalist supply.