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Multilateral Foreign Policy > Published by Will Straw, April 12th 2010 at 11:15 pm

End of the road for Cameron’s homophobic alliance?

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In what would be a “humiliating” reversal for David Cameron, the head of the main centre-right grouping in Europe has predicted the demise of the Conservative leader’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) – a group described as being “exotic … [and containing] characters with disturbing ideas about gays and Jews”.

In an article in New Europe, Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, secretary general of the European People’s Party (EPP), predicted that the Czech Civic Democratic Party (ODS) would leave the ECR and join the EPP. The ODS are the third largest party in David Cameron’s “sexist and Islamophobic” grouping. Their former Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has recently resigned as Chairman of the party after being filmed making disparaging remarks about “gay” and “Jew” colleagues.

The loss of the nine ODS members would leave the ECR on a knife edge “with the minimum requirement of members from seven states, five of which have a solitary MEP”. The loss of of only one further MEP would mean that the ECR would be wound up under EU rules.

In the interview, Lopez-Isturiz criticised David Cameron’s sidekick in Brussels, Daniel Hannan MEP:

“I hope David Cameron will make the pragmatic choice. I don’t understand how EU affairs was left to Daniel Hannan.”

Lopez-Isturiz went on to heap praise on, “pro-Europe Tories, such as Lord Brittan, Lord Patten and Shadow Business Secretary, Ken Clarke, describing them as ‘brave’ in standing up for Europe.” He also set out how Cameron’s EU policy was damaging the British Conservative party’s relationship with their allies in the United States:

[He said] that there was an important Trans-Atlantic aspect, as “John McCain told him to join the EPP”, and remaining outside the group would rupture the Tories links with the US Republican Party, and he added, “The position of Britain as a bridge between the US and Europe is now destroyed. There is a new one that is enlarged between Washington and Brussels, now we have a direct connection.”

  • http://twitter.com/bencooper86/status/12068889338 Ben Cooper

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://twitter.com/goodoldmj/status/12069412483 Martin Johnston

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? http://bit.ly/b7r2vt #reasonsnottovotetory

  • http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/12069227608 Max

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://twitter.com/labourlist/status/12069340922 LabourList

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • topsy_top20k_en

    End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • Mister Jabberwock

    The only thing missing from this post is that it wasn’t written in green ink!

  • http://twitter.com/deludeddonny/status/12072927538 Donovan Clarkson

    RT @labourlist: RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://www.order-order.com Guido Fawkes

    Do you actually believe this crap? You know your mate Macintyre ending up cost the Staggers a fair old few quid after they paid out over that rubbish about Hannan being racist.

    Trying to demonise your opponents as anti-semites, homophobes etc all the time for short-term political advantage is truly unsavoury. The likes of Hannan and myself just don’t want a European supra-state, it is a legitimate argument you should address on its merits. Trying to make out we’re crypto-nazis is just not plausible.

    As for the substance of this story, a leader of a rival political faction predicts demise of other faction? Wow.

  • Will Straw

    If you’re commenting at 11.52pm, Guido, it must be a story.

    Seriously, though, I’m not demonising anyone, just pointing out what others are saying. Most of these characters (who I don’t happen to think are cryto-Nazis) are their own worst enemies which is why they collectively got less than 5% of the European vote last June.

    The supra-state argument is is a good one to have. Personally I’m sympathetic to less rather than more EU regulation, but the Tories’ strategy will not get us there.

  • John77

    Will,
    You are grasping at straws – Antonio Lopex-Isturiz sounds like Lord Adonis asking LibDems to tactically vote Labour, and reports from anyone outside the Labour party suggest that there is more homophobia and Islamophobia in evidence in the three other main parties: EPP, S&D, ALDE, let alone EFD, than in ECR. Who has opposed Turkey’s application to join the EU? – not the British Conservatives.

  • http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/04/12/end-of-the-road-for-cameron%e2%80%99s-homophobic-alliance/ End of the road for Cameron’s homophobic alliance? « The best Labour blogs

    [...] More… [...]

  • http://order-order.com/ Guido Fawkes

    Hey, it is a 24/7 newstream. The fact is in the new democracies we have a lot of colourful characters and scoundrels in all the political factions. Islamaphobia is an all-party affair across Christian Europe.

    Do you not feel a little bit like you a flogging a dead horse here? Us EU-sceptics don’t like the idea of a supra-state, these Hannan’s-mates-are-crypto-nazis stories don’t really get any mainstream play (Toby Helm excepted) and don’t aid your credibility. It might play well with those who want to believe it, but it is divorced from reality.

    If Kaminsky was to sue Macintyre he would bankrupt the Staggers. Some of the stuff that has been written by Macintyre is absolutely disgraceful. Knockabout stuff is one thing, accusing people of being neo-nazis for petty partisan point scoring diminishes the importance with which that charge should be treated.

  • http://twitter.com/longshanks1980/status/12093903535 Richard Astley

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's "homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://twitter.com/andrewprg/status/12094109040 AndyG

    RT @leftfootfwd End of the road for Cameron's "exotic" and homophobic alliance? http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://twitter.com/any1butcameron/status/12094318726 AnyoneButCameron

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • Henry

    Well, one of those lovely Law & Justice MEPs wanted to knock down the synagogue in Poznan. I’m sure this was just a minor planning issue & it’s just fine for Cameron to be friendly with these folk.

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/politics-summary-tuesday-april-13th/ Politics Summary: Tuesday, April 13th | Left Foot Forward

    [...] reported on Left Foot Forward last night, The Times details that “Europe’s centre-right politicians expect David Cameron [...]

  • http://twitter.com/pickledpolitics/status/12094959814 sunny hundal

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • http://twitter.com/jenweb/status/12095051531 jenweb

    RT @leftfootfwd: End of the road for Cameron's homophobic alliance? Head of EPP predicts "humiliating" end for ECR http://bit.ly/b7r2vt

  • Will Straw

    I agree that Islamophobia is an all-party affair across Europe (including in parts of Britain) but that doesn’t excuse it for a second. Cameron’s claims to be progressive are seriously under strain when he seeks out 30-odd people with a range of such deeply conservative and socially regressive views.

    I don’t think we can be accused of “flogging a dead horse” when the Murdoch media regards it as newsworthy: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/election_2010/article7095795.ece