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Nick gets opportunity to talk about EU
April 24, 2010 10:14 AM
Europe was one of the main topics debated in the second party leaders election debate on Thursday 22 April. This is no doubt the first time that the EU has featured so prominently in a general election campaign. In the debate, which was initially focused on foreign affairs, Nick Clegg who was once a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East Midlands, was given the opportunity to set out the reasons why the Liberal Democrats are pro-Europe. For once, the British public was able to hear an honest debate rather than Eurosceptic propaganda.
What did Nick have to say?
" I want us to lead in Europe, not complain from the sidelines."
That not all was right with the bloc, noting that Brussels had spent 15 years coming up with a definition of chocolate.
"I don't think the European Union is perfect, I want it reformed, that's why I want to lead in the European Union but we're stronger together and we are weaker apart."
'Of course there are daft rules. Of course it does daft things, but it seems to me that we punch above our weight when we stand together in Europe in a world where, frankly, you have got a lot of superpowers bumping up against each other and where, to coin a phrase, size does matter."
Issues such as climate change must be tackled together.
There will be a referendum if there are any more big transfers of power. But only on the fundamental issue of do we stay in or do we go out. "I would argue we should stay in, not because it's perfect but because I think it's in our interests to do so."
Nick Clegg also attacked David Cameron over his party's MEPs leaving the Conservative grouping (EPP) in the European Parliament to align with right wing European parties. "How on earth does it help anyone in Bristol, or anyone else in the country for that matter, David Cameron, to join together in the EU with a bunch of nutters, anti-Semites, people who deny climate change exists, and homophobes?"
Gordon Brown almost said, "I agree with Nick."
CW
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