Brown conquers the sceptics in Strasbourg

A busy Strasbourg session was given further excitement with Gordon Brown's arrival this afternoon. The Prime Minister took part in a debate in the Parliament on the preparation of the crucial G20 summit, before meeting with the Labour MEPs and then the Socialist group, and then travelling on to New York for further preparatory talks.

Gordon's passionate speech, which ranged from the need for regulatory reform and investment to deal with the financial crisis to tackling climate change and maintaining overseas development aid, was from the heart and certainly confounded those who claim that he is a eurosceptic - his final sentence called for a "united Europe founded on shared ideals", while he was at pains to stress that he was "proud to be British and proud to be European". Among Socialist colleagues, the consensus was that it was a great speech and he was given a rousing standing ovation from all national delegations in our group and beyond (even managing to get applause from Danny Cohn-Bendit, the leader of the Greens).

Eurosceptics were represented by some particularly wild contributions (even by their standards) from Nigel Farage and Dan Hannan. Farage argued that parliamentary democracy doesn't work, neither at Westminster nor in the European Parliament. A bizarre rant, which brought a knowing smile from Gordon!

Clarke's return will re-open Tory wounds on Europe

The Conservatives’ apparent retreat from rabid euroscepticism has apparently continued today with Ken Clarke returning to the Tory shadow cabinet. Meanwhile, in a sign of the added importance the Tories are attaching to Europe, their shadow Europe spokesman Mark Francois has also been promoted to the shadow cabinet.

Clarke’s return to the front bench has been hotly debated by Conservative activists on Conservative Home, with many members dismayed that such an unabashed europhile is back. Among the choicest quotes are descriptions of Clarke as “divisive” and “overrated” while one describes the move as “two fingers to anyone in the Conservative party who is a eurosceptic". The Conservative affiliated Bruges group has also claimed that Clarke’s promotion signals David Cameron’s abandonment of a commitment to a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

The idea that Clarke will be silenced on Europe is surely fanciful, especially as shadow Business Secretary when most of of Britain’s trade is with its EU neighbours. Although Clarke has promised not to buck the party’s policy on Europe, he has consistently called for Britain to join the euro, is against Tory withdrawal from the centre-right EPP, and was one of just three Conservative MPs to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty back in March last year. He is also forthright in front of a microphone and it is surely only a matter of time before he criticises party policy. As Gordon Brown put it this morning, “it’s good to have someone in the Shadow Cabinet who is supportive of our policies on Europe, on VAT and probably quietly supportive of a number of our other policies”.

While most Tory MEPs will be happy to see him back, the likes of Roger Helmer and Dan Hannan, and the majority of Tory party activists will be spitting feathers. If Ken can’t keep quiet, Tory infighting over Europe will continue unabated.

Brown gets Europe pulling together

Few people would begrudge Gordon Brown a peak at the world’s newspaper headlines after Le Monde hailed him a “European superhero” and the Washington Post declared him the saviour of the world financial system.

By boldly rescuing threatened banks by part-nationalising them, providing guarantees for inter-bank lending and injecting extra liquidity, Gordon produced a plan that was rapidly followed by the eurozone countries (whose meeting he was invited to, despite not yet being a member), and then by others around the world.

This has at least stemmed the current tsunami of financial sector troubles, but it is the combined action with other EU governments which promises to produce a long-term plan which can avert a reoccurence of the reckless gambling that left so many banks on the brink of collapse.

In today’s press conference with Jose Manuel Barroso, ahead of the EU summit, Gordon made clear that coordination and cooperation among EU governments and regulators is now imperitive. An early warning system and better regulation of transnational banks and companies are also set to be introduced. (It is also reassuring to see Barroso confirm that despite the current economic climate EU countries would maintain their ambitious plans to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions.)

Of course there is much still to do, with the rise in unemployment a warning there are still difficult times ahead but, thanks in no small part to Gordon Brown, there is at least now a concerted effort to get EU governments pulling in the same direction.

A positive few days in Manchester

I have been cheered by an enjoyable few days at Labour party conference in Manchester.

Perhaps to the surprise of some, the atmosphere was upbeat and determined with little sign of the doom and gloom many people outside the party were wishing for.

It hasn't been the easiest few months for Gordon but his speech today was excellent, setting out a commanding set of policies for the future and drawing clear battle lines between what Labour has done so well and what the Conservatives would fail to do, coninciding of course with his calm handling of the world financial crisis in this past, manic week. Another of his points, importantly, was Labour's determination to continue to work closely with our neighbouring countries in the EU, something David Cameron has failed to comprehend since taking charge of the Tories.

The stark differences between Labour and the Conservatives with regards to the EU has been hammered home time and again throughout the conference. Both on the conference floor and in fringe meetings Labour MPs, ministers, MEPs and party members have been standing up and championing Europe and it's fantastic to hear!

It was also a great pleasure to see the moving tribute to my colleagues Gary Titley and Glenys Kinnock recieved following their announcement they would be stepping down at the next European elections. Both MEPs have worked tirelessly for their constituents, Gary for almost 20 years and Glenys 15, and it was touching to see Gordon and the rest of the party acknowledge their efforts so enthusiastically.

Labour's Spring Conference very positive on Europe

Strikingly positive and upbeat atmosphere on Europe at Labour's Spring Conference!

The various workshops, seminars and fringe meetings on Europe have been very well attended - indeed, I'm told the best of all. Certainly, the one that Foreign Secrtary David Miliband and I addressed on the subject of the Lisbon Treaty was packed, and positively enthusiastic.

Why? A combination of the vehemence of the Tory attacks on the EU, the pedagogic spin-off of the long Commons debate on the treaty, and the fact that Labour party members are currently voting on the choice of candidates for the next European elections has led to heightened awareness about Europe in general and the treaty in particular.

Gordon Brown too spoke at the conference of how Europe is vital to our objectives on climate change, development, trade and security, all areas where Europe is leading the way. He also said that the Tories are making a strategic error in turning their backs on Europe and focussing on the past, not the future. As Gordon has sometimes been accused of being luke-warm about Europe, this strong message reinforced the sense that Europe is now one of the major dividing lines between the two parties, and one which will work to Labour's advantage.

Brown highlights importance of Europe to business

A timely reminder from our Prime Minister at the Business for New Europeconference this morning about the importance of Europe to Britain:

"What is clear is that at this time of global economic uncertainty, we should not be throwing into question - as some would - the stability of our relationship with Europe and even our future membership of the European Union - risking trade, business and jobs. Indeed, I strongly believe that rather than retreating to the sidelines we must remain fully engaged in Europe so we can push forward the reforms that are essential for Europe’s, and Britain’s, economic future.

The EU is key to the success of business in the UK:

Europe accounts for nearly 60 per cent of our trade;

700,000 British companies have trading ties to Europe;

And 3.5 million British jobs depend upon Europe.

And even in the face of rapid globalisation, our trade with Europe continues to rise, meaning Europe is as important to the future of Britain than ever.

So European Union membership is good for Britain and British membership is good for Europe"

Brown must show Britain is not a reluctant partner

Good to see the treaty signed by all 27 governments yesterday. Pity that Gordon Brown’s diary clash meant he arrived late, giving ample leeway for comments along the lines of "Britain, as ever, the last to join" or "Britain half-hearted again". Gordon will need to ensure that the rest of Europe doesn’t get carried away with such ideas.

Now the battle moves on to securing ratification. the European Parliament will vote on the treaty in February, based on my own report that I, together with Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, am writing for the Constitutional Affairs Committee. Then each national parliament must vote (only Ireland is holding a referendum because it is obliged to on any treaty revision by its own constitution). Every government seems confident that it will secure a majority, or even a large majority. But it only needs a single “no” to bring ratification to a halt and plunge the EU into another institutional wrangle.

Yesterday's Commons debate on the European Council was marked by the pompous and unconstructive Euroscepticism of every Conservative that took part in the debate, with the sole exception of David Curry. David Cameron's speech made absolutely no reference to the future agenda of the EU - in stark contrast to Gordon Brown's presentation of a paper looking at the way that the EU can contribute to economic prosperity, security, job creation and tackling climate change. This paper serves as Britain's agenda for the future of the EU in the 21st century. Indeed, as Gordon put it, "it is right that Europe now focuses not on more institutional change, but on the reforms that are needed to meet the challenges of the global era".

It was interesting to hear Michael Connarty's contribution to the debate. The Conservatives have made much of the report by the European Scrutiny Committee (chaired by Mr Connarty) on the treaty, citing a passage in the report stating that "the new Treaty is substantially equivalent to the Constitutional Treaty", conveniently forgetting to include the previous half of the sentence which states that this is only the case for countries that "have not requested derogations or opt-outs from the full range of agreements in the Treaty". This is yet another example of the way Eurosceptics use selective quotation to mislead and distort debate on the EU.

Indeed, as Michael Connarty pointed out, Britain does have derogations and opt-outs which mean that, as far as Britain as concerned, the Lisbon Treaty is significantly different from the Constitution.

I was particularly struck by David Winnick's comment that most of the Tory objections to the treaty "amount to little more than xenophobia". It is a sad indictment of the Conservative leadership that, even though they have quietly drafted an "Alternative Treaty" that is very similar to the Reform Treaty, they none the less give free reign to the obsessive Eurosceptics in their party, An example of how they are losing control of their extremist wing is the Early Day Motion tabled by Bill Cash and John Redwood. It calls for the Government to reject the Reform Treaty and for a referendum to be held on it either before or AFTER ratification.

This implies that, in the (albeit unlikely) event of the Tories winning the next election, they would hold a referendum after the treaty entered into force, and campaign for a 'no' vote. If they won it, the other 26 EU countries would almost certainly refuse to agree to re-open the treaty and completely re-write it. Britain would be offered a simple choice - are you in or out of the EU. This, of course, is what Messrs Cash and Redwood know and want. It will certainly be interesting to see which Tories sign this EDM.

So, a European Council summit convenes and Britain has a treaty which contains all the things it asked for at the June summit. This time Britain is not going into the meeting with major battles to fight. All of the Government's so-called 'red lines' have been agreed, and Britain keeps its ability to pick and choose whether to opt-in or out on justice and home affairs policy. The treaty discussions are expected to be wrapped up fairly swiftly. If there are any last minute hitches, they will probably be Polish or Italian quibbles. It should be a successful (and low-octane) first summit for Gordon Brown as our Prime Minister.

Of course, this is unlikely to assuage the obsessive Euroscepticism of the Murdoch press, the Telegraph and the Mail. You can expect to read the usual wild-eyed diatribes and baseless scare stories about the contents of the Reform Treaty and how it will lead to a centralised superstate.

However, the reality is that most people are not interested in such shrill little-Englanderism. I gather that the Sun's readership has fallen by over 100,000 each day its front page has been dominated by demands for a referendum on the treaty. Meanwhile, Mark Mardell's blog points out that more people declared their religion to be "Jedi" in the last census than have signed the Sun's petition. When looking at the substance of the text, such apathy is unsurprising - are people really suggesting a referendum should be held on whether we replace the 6-month rotating presidency of the European Council with a 30-month one, or apply qualified majority voting to the composition of the comitology committee?!

Let us be clear: this treaty is good for Britain and for the EU. It abandons the previous concept of a Constitution that swept away all the existing treaties and replaced them with a codifying Constitution, and the various symbols and controversial elements that some countries felt had the trappings of statehood. At the same time, it preserves the practical adjustments to the EU institutions contained in the Constitution: the strengthened role of national and European parliaments in EU decision making, reducing the number of Commissioners, merging the two EU foreign affairs positions into one role of High Representative, replacing the six month rotating Council presidency with a 30-month permanent position.

In short, it is a compromise between the 18 countries that had said 'yes', the two who said 'no', and the seven who were waiting to see on the constitution - but a positive compromise that should put an end to the years of institutional wrangling and enable EU decision making to be more effective and efficient. For those of us who believe in Britain's place in the European Union, this is a result to be welcomed.

P.S. I was pleased to read the position of Business Europe (the CBI and its European partners) welcoming the Reform Treaty. In their words, "the proposed Reform Treaty is a good compromise providing an improved framework for decision-making with 27 Member States".

I was delighted to share a platform in London this morning with Lord Brittan - formerly Sir Leon Brittan, Conservative Home Secretary. He made it absolutely clear that he supports the Reform Treaty and does not think much of the posturing of the current Conservative leadership in opposing it and demanding a referendum, especially as they would - if they were in power - sign up to essentially the same package. Other Tory grandees such as Douglas Hurd and Chris Patten also support the Reform Treaty.

In the afternoon, I and other Labour MEPs met Gordon Brown, who is upbeat and confident about securing a deal on a new treaty at the end of this week. Other meetings with ministers, and with TUC, improved my mood of optimism.

In the evening, I gave a lecture at the Italian Cultural Institute in London on the life of Altiero Spinelli, who was born 100 years ago. I thought there would be a dozen people attending, but was delighted when some 100 turned up - perhaps there is greater appreciation for Spinelli in the UK than the state of our public debate on Europe would suggest!

Debate over what to do about the Constitutional Treaty has finally reached the mainstream British media.

The usual suspects have embraced hyperbolic nonsense, ignoring the pragmatic and vital reforms the original treaty offered, as I explain in more detail in my article for EU Observer. You can read it by clicking here.

The BBC’s Europe correspondent, Mark Mardell, blogs on the forthcoming summit and rightly points out that it is absurd to suggest Blair is tying Brown’s hands by agreeing a deal (as some papers are suggesting), as Gordon will be responsible for signing any treaty when he becomes Prime Minister in a couple of weeks.

Mardell and the Independent both fear the summit could get bogged down by Poland’s desire to introduce a voting system based on the square root of a country’s population. The reform of the voting system in the Constitutional Treaty intended to re-balance the weight of votes in the Council, which has slid towards smaller countries since the EU’s enlargement. By basing votes on population, bigger countries (like Britain) would be more fairly represented, while ensuring 55% of countries have to approve any directives and regulations would protect smaller member states (like Ireland).

The square root system has no chance of being implemented but the worry is Poland will refuse to budge on the issue, a result which Mardell suggests might be secretly welcomed by Gordon.

He presumably thinks that deadlock caused by another country will save Gordon from a pounding from the Eurosceptic press but a pounding from the Eurosceptic press is as inevitible as the endless coverage the same papers give to Big Brother.

The EU must reform if it is to work. We cannot continue to duck the issue and the sooner member states can reach an agreement acceptable to all the better – something Gordon knows!

Just a quick blog to make sure people are aware that they still have the opportunity to vote in Labour's Leadership and Deputy Leadership contests if they join or re-join the party by June 1st.

It is the first time in history Labour members will have the chance to choose the next Prime Minister (with immediate effect), and the party should be praised for encouraging lapsed and new members to take part in this important process.

If you want to join and vote, or know someone who does click here.

Right, I'm off to get my supporting nomination in for Gordon Brown.

Party Conference has an unusual atmosphere: the first time in years
that it's not at a seaside resort!

I will not blog on the Conference, as I am off to Strasbourg Tuesday,
but refer readers instead to the blog of Jonathon Roberts, executive member of the LME. Jonathan, 24 years old, works in my office and he won a competition to be the official Labour Conference blogger. He has done a blog for his CLP, Thirsk + Malton, and his Conference blog will, I'm sure, be equally frank and entertaining.

The following is an extract of an email I recently received from a prominent Labour councillor in my constituency:

"Some good comments on your blog about Tony Blair and the continual demands for a Blair to go now.

I'm perfectly happy for MPs to have whatever views they wish in private, and will be quite happy to see Tony replaced by Gordon Brown, John Reid or any other potential replacement (I would draw the line at John McDonnell, I have to say) .....

But why can't we have any of our arguments in private?

Meanwhile, we seem to want to allow the public to sleepwalk into the idea that all the achievements of the last eight years - full employment, investment in health and education, the pledge to eradicate child poverty, help for working families, real regeneration of our inner cities and urban areas, etc, etc, - will just carry on without concern if we let Cameron and his Tories in."

Sentiments I echo heartily.

If Tony Blair goes in May next year, then it will be his successor who represents Britain at the crucial EU summit next June on the future of the constitutional treaty, which, one way or the other, will determine the pattern of EU politics for the next few years.

This has so far attracted little comment in the media, but it is of potentially crucial importance for the future of Europe.

Blair has been a consistent supporter of Britain playing a constructive role in Europe and he has continued to support the constitutional treaty when some cabinet ministers were luke-warm or even hostile (despite Labour's manifesto commitment to campaign enthusiastically for it). Blair has grasped that the issue is not dead and buried, as British commentators are all too quick to proclaim, and that even if the text of the treaty does eventually die a death, then (1) it is important that Britain is not blamed for killing it off (when there are others who are all too keen to blame the Brits) and (2) the issues the treaty was intended to solve have not conveniently gone away, but remain on the table.

If Brown is there, then he will have to get to grips very quickly with issues that he has sometimes shown a disdain for. He will have to overcome suspicions from our European partners that he is a closet Eurosceptic, who rarely attends the "Ecofin" council meetings and, when he does, has a reputation of lecturing other finance ministers on how much better the British economy is doing under his stewardship (which particularly irks those who are doing better or as well, including the Finns, the Irish and the Dutch who Britain considers to be natural allies in EU discussions). He also seems, for a socialist, to be overly gushing in his admiration of US labour market deregulation and lack of social protection. And of course many see him, rightly or wrongly, as the man who thwarted Blair on bringing Britain into the euro.

The discussion on the constitutional treaty will force Brown, if it is him, to come clean on where he stands. If he takes the view (which is the easy option in terms of the short run in domestic politics) that treaty reform is dead and the enlarged EU should simply muddle through with the old treaties, then he will have both made the wrong choice in favour of a downgraded EU and he will have alienated the majority of our EU partners. He will also have kicked the British objective of further enlargement of the EU into the long grass.

If, on the other hand, he were to embrace the view that Britain is constructively committed to building a more effective, accountable EU and is still supportive of the reforms contained in the constitutional treaty, then he would both maximise British influence and give a sporting chance to the reforms that the EU genuinely needs.

Of course, there are many who would wish to see him lay his cards on the table before the summit - indeed before they would be prepared to vote for him as Labour leader. There is still a strongly pro-Europe sentiment running through the Labour party and many members, including ministers and former ministers, MPs and MEPs, trade unionists and others, for whom the issue of Europe will be a litmus test of their willingness to back him or to seek an alternative.