Clegg sees opting out of treaty as bad for UK
Source: Agencies |
December 12, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE leader of the junior party in Britain's coalition government has criticized Prime Minister David Cameron's move to block European Union treaty changes, saying yesterday it was "bad for Britain" and he was bitterly disappointed by the outcome.
"Now there is a danger that the UK will be isolated and marginalized within the European Union," Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, warning that already the country is "retreating further to the margins of Europe."
Clegg initially had said he backed the decision, but he acknowledged that when Cameron told him of the move in a 4am phone call he clearly expressed his disappointment.
"I said this was bad for Britain," he recalled to the BBC. "I made it clear that it was untenable for me to welcome it."
Clegg, who has advocated closer European ties even while Cameron's Conservatives lobby for distance from Brussels, said he will now do everything he can "to ensure this setback does not become a permanent divide."
Cameron rejected an invitation to join 26 European partners in a tighter financial alliance to save the euro after failing to secure safeguards and exemptions for Britain's dominant financial sector.
The move isolated Cameron from the EU and raised doubts about whether Britain realistically can remain a member of the 27-nation bloc, while eliciting toasts from the prime minister's typically anti-EU party and prompting speculation over the survivability of the coalition.
But Clegg? the leader of the Liberal Democrats? dismissed talk the coalition with Cameron's Tories would split.
"It would be even more damaging for us as a country if the coalition Government was to fall apart," he said. "That would cause economic disaster for the country at a time of great economic uncertainty."
"Now there is a danger that the UK will be isolated and marginalized within the European Union," Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, warning that already the country is "retreating further to the margins of Europe."
Clegg initially had said he backed the decision, but he acknowledged that when Cameron told him of the move in a 4am phone call he clearly expressed his disappointment.
"I said this was bad for Britain," he recalled to the BBC. "I made it clear that it was untenable for me to welcome it."
Clegg, who has advocated closer European ties even while Cameron's Conservatives lobby for distance from Brussels, said he will now do everything he can "to ensure this setback does not become a permanent divide."
Cameron rejected an invitation to join 26 European partners in a tighter financial alliance to save the euro after failing to secure safeguards and exemptions for Britain's dominant financial sector.
The move isolated Cameron from the EU and raised doubts about whether Britain realistically can remain a member of the 27-nation bloc, while eliciting toasts from the prime minister's typically anti-EU party and prompting speculation over the survivability of the coalition.
But Clegg? the leader of the Liberal Democrats? dismissed talk the coalition with Cameron's Tories would split.
"It would be even more damaging for us as a country if the coalition Government was to fall apart," he said. "That would cause economic disaster for the country at a time of great economic uncertainty."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
