So, the Tory/EPP saga has finally raised some interest in the national media.

Everyone from the News at Ten to the News of the World have been running the story – I was a touch concerned that Cameron’s shambles of a European policy might be overshadowed by the World Cup, and then nobody would find out the truth behind this mess. Fortunately not.

Here is a link to a fascinating article on the BBC site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5053682.stm). I was particularly interested in David Curry’s argument for staying in the EPP, which followed much the same line as we’ve seen before.

“With the best will in the world we would end up with an implausible, erratic and unstable group of parties, many of whose values Conservatives simply do not share. This is particularly important when David Cameron is committed to making the party at home reflect, not confront, contemporary society”, says Curry. Well, indeed.

At home, Cameron is doing well from this persona of being a “thoroughly decent chap”, talking positively about public services, equality and green issues – policy areas hardly entrenced in Tory hearts. Yet in Europe, he is more than happy to show the true nature of the beast – right wing, populist and stuck in the past.

A new group would be “erratic, implausible and unstable”, Curry suggests. No wonder Cameron thinks his party would feel more at home there.

In my post on the 14 December 2006 I listed a whole host of quotes from Tories concerned about leaving the EPP. For another read of them click here.