The issue of Michal Kaminski and Robert Zile is becoming a huge problem for Britain’s Prime Minister in waiting. His Foreign Secretary, William Hague has just returned from meeting Hillary Clinton and others in the Obama administration and all did not go well. The State Department is growing more concerned with the Tories, especially in relation to Europe. Previously the Brits have loudly trumpeted their ‘special relationship’ with the US and positioned themselves as a bridge over the Atlantic, but this is unraveling. Hague maintains he reassured Clinton that his fellow travelers in the ECR groups are “mainstream right wing parties” and that “I have explained to her and others that she will be find a Conservative government very active and activist from the very beginning in European affairs. “ Few find that comment convincing.
Very active? This from a party whose response to the ratification of the Lisbon treaty is, well, what is their response? To think about it later? No wonder that the Americans, who want a strong and unified Europe to help them in dealing with China, terrorism, climate change etc are not impressed with the Conservatives slide towards irrelevance. An American official explained their thoughts on the ECR group by saying, “I do not see any upsides in the new grouping. I can only see downsides. In life it is normally best to do things when they have an upside.”
Indeed, where is the upside? It’s hard to see Angela Merkel warmly embracing a group that has members who celebrate the Waffen SS, the centre right throughout Europe are shunning the Tories and the US is sniffily dismissive. Could it be that the Americans best friends will not be the British, but the Germans? How will that affect Anglo-US relations? The ‘special relationship’ between Blair and Bush turned out to be more akin to the relationship between a dog and a lamppost. Privately many Tories are disparately thinking of ways out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves, including toppling Kaminski, but whatever course they follow there is likely to be considerable infighting and that will leave them, and their Party Leader, David ‘Call me Dave’ Cameron looking like damaged goods. Not what they want in a run up to a general election. A short while they looked a certainty for winning the imminent election, but now that is looking less certain.
Meanwhile Labour have got their team in place, with Peter Mandelson’s repeated rise from the political grave being so complete he’s even being mentioned as a possible party leader and Alistair Campbell back on form, whilst John ‘One punch’ Prescott is putting some fighting spirit back in the party, they look ready for a fight. Blair’s bid for the Presidency is looking like failing, but there is a sweetener for the Brits as David Milliband is looking good for the High Representative position, and he has a very good reputation within the UK Foreign Office, one that is being noticed throughout Europe. There are rumours of Brown standing down at the end of the year, one step the party must take if it wants to win and one person being touted as the next Prime Minister is Ed Milliband, David’s brother. You see, Europe is a family after all.