The UUP have jumped into bed with the English Conservative Party, and in the European Parliament their single MEP, Jim Nicholson, sits as a member of the 'European Conservatives and Reformists', the Tories new group. The UUP are therefore, to all extents and purposes, an integral part of the Conservative Party's approach to Europe.
But the Conservative Party's approach to Europe is one of partial disengagement. So far it has been unclear precisely what that means, but yesterday a Conservative MEP, Roger Helmer publicly stated in one of the European parliament's committees – the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, of which he is a substitute member – that if elected to power next year, the Conservative Party will "withdraw from European social and employment affairs".
That as it stands is merely a repetition of earlier Tory opposition to European social legislation, but if the Tories do actually follow through, then the consequences will be severe, especially in Northern Ireland. The reason is simple – 'European employment and social affairs' include two different things – one is the raft of legislation that Tories tend to hate, but the other is transfers of money. And Northern Ireland receives quite a lot of 'European social and employment funding', particularly through the European Social Fund – for the period between 2007-2013 Northern Ireland will receive €165,777,300 (or £145,000,000) just from the ESF.
Much of that money will have already been spent by the time that the Tories, and their UCUNF mini-mes, "withdraw from European social and employment affairs", but a lot will not have been spent. Unless they are being entirely hypocritical, any withdrawal from European social and employment affairs must include a renouncing of the funding, and thus the loss to Northern Ireland of the amounts still unspent.
So will the UUP campaign for a Tory victory in next year's Westminster election in the knowledge that such a victory will cost Northern Ireland tens of millions of pounds? How will they justify this? Will they have the guts to even admit it? It is certain that in a period of unprecedented budgetary cutbacks the lost ESF money will not be compensated by the British government – so will unionist voters be foolish enough to actually vote for less money?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Well done Horseman another great post.
SF want out of Europe as well. How do they explain this to their voters? Perhaps they'll just rob a bank?
A UK withdrawal from Europe would have many effects including financial. The UK currently pours cash into Europe, so presumably a withdrawal would mean a huge cash surplus to The UK, some of which would go to British Ulster.
This is too easy...
Anonymous (Andrew McCann, of course),
Helmer did not say that the Tories would withdraw from the EU, just from the employment and social dimensions. So all of the other obligations would remain, including paying into the EU budget - i.e. the UK would pay in, but would get less out. Clever policy, no?
However I presume two things. Firstly that this is just Tory bluster, and nothing will come of it. Secondly, in the unlikely even of Cameron actually going through with it, they will look for some compensatory rebate that is more or less equivalent to what the UK currently gets from the ESF. But this rebate would go to the Treasury, and may not actually find its way to NI at all. It would be an optimistic unionist who would assume that the Tory government will give NI as much (or more) in addition than it currently gets from the ESF.
In the meantime, though, I think it is incumbent on the UUP to explain where they stand on this.
Mr Helmer is a bit of a loose cannon as far as the Tories in Europe are concerned. Did he not endorse Jim Allister in the recent Euro Election him and Daniel Hannan I think.
Good to see you back again, Horseman. For a while there I was afraid Loyal Ulster was safe.
Tell me it isn't so!
RE: Anonymous said...
"SF want out of Europe as well. How do they explain this to their voters? Perhaps they'll just rob a bank?
A UK withdrawal from Europe would have many effects including financial. The UK currently pours cash into Europe, so presumably a withdrawal would mean a huge cash surplus to The UK, some of which would go to British Ulster.
This is too easy..."
Then why out of the elected anti-European parties in the UK and Ireland, UNCUF, TUV, Sinn Fein, DUP etc. there is only one party who in principle will neither take the large sums of money and expenses from nor represent UK in the European parliment.
Who is this mysterious party fighting this Pan-European pseudo-parliment that subsidises poorly governed failing nations at the expense of the hard earned wealth and competitiveness of the better ones?
Why it is none other than The British
Nationalist Party. lol
Post a Comment