At long last some sense from Labour

Re: Blair has no chance of reforming EU

Today in the FT Dominique Villepin sets out his "vision" for a "united way to a new political Europe".
of agriculture, he claims it has given Europe an independent food supply, made Europe the world's second-largest agricultural power, and given it huge economic power. At a time when the food problem is becoming urgent worldwide, we have to strengthen our agriculture while pursuing its adaptation. European consumers want to be sure they will not encounter supply or health problems and that prices will remain affordable: only the Common Agricultural Policy enables us to take up these challenges.

So there you have the French and so the EU view.
As president of the EU the UK has to take a neutral view
Under the Treaties which shape how the EU operates, all proposed legislation or reform must originate from the Brussels Commission (the permanent bureaucracy), not the European Parliament, not ministers and therefore not Britain.

So all we will hear is the usual vacuous Blairite drivel dressed up in a European rather than a British context.
Both the PM and Chancellor are deluding themselves if they really believe they can remake the EU in the image they want in six months.

Chico, the Blair vision of Europe changes with the wind.

Yesterday it was a constitutional superstate, a common currency and all underpinned by socialism. Now you say it is low tax, high technology and a free market - the tory vision which he has railed against since he became prime minister!

He has been given a kick up the @rse, so out come the soundbites that bear no relationship to what he actually does.

Equate Blair with low-tax. I'm confused.
Nowhere is he arguing with the amount of tax we pay in the UK. He simply wants to divert the 40% of EU income which is currently spent on the French farmers into something more useful, like for example salaries for full-time European officers (one of which he is presumably intent on becoming!)

I'm struggling to equate Bliar with low tax - when did that happen?

Chico,

with respect,

I have never agreed with/supported the CAP

If Blair and Brown can get rid of the CAP they will have achieved something really worthwhile

Will be funny to watch the farmer's reactions

I guess they'll be trading down their Discoveries for Skoda's like mine

Milan.

At last Milan you finally agree with Blair vision of Europe -(low tax, high technology, free market) not the Schroeder/Chirac (axis of corruption) vision of 20 million unemployed and 40% of EU budget spent propping up lazy farmers.

TONY BLAIR and Gordon Brown mounted a joint assault on the Common Agricultural Policy yesterday with the Prime Minister suggesting for the first time that Britain’s ultimate objective was to scrap it.

Farmers, the EU's highest paid social security scroungers.

Milan.