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| Tory EU stance will 'castrate' UK | Tory EU stance will 'castrate' UK |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The Conservatives' stance on the EU has been attacked as a "pathetic" move that will "castrate" UK influence in Europe, a French government minister has said. | The Conservatives' stance on the EU has been attacked as a "pathetic" move that will "castrate" UK influence in Europe, a French government minister has said. |
| France's minister for Europe Pierre Lellouche said EU leaders would not help the Tories re-negotiate treaties. | France's minister for Europe Pierre Lellouche said EU leaders would not help the Tories re-negotiate treaties. |
| He was responding in the Guardian to David Cameron's vow that "never again" would powers be transferred from the UK to Brussels without a referendum. | He was responding in the Guardian to David Cameron's vow that "never again" would powers be transferred from the UK to Brussels without a referendum. |
| He was outlining his new policy after ruling out a Lisbon Treaty referendum. | He was outlining his new policy after ruling out a Lisbon Treaty referendum. |
| Mr Cameron said all future treaties would be put to a public vote. | Mr Cameron said all future treaties would be put to a public vote. |
| He also promised a sovereignty bill if the Tories win the next election to "lock in" the supremacy of UK laws. | He also promised a sovereignty bill if the Tories win the next election to "lock in" the supremacy of UK laws. |
| And the Tory leader vowed to repatriate powers on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, employment and criminal law. | And the Tory leader vowed to repatriate powers on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, employment and criminal law. |
| I don't think you will find [Mr Lellouche's comments are] representative of the reaction in Paris or other European capitals William Hague, shadow foreign secretary | |
| Mr Lellouche told the Guardian: "It's pathetic. It's just very sad to see Britain, so important in Europe, just cutting itself out from the rest and disappearing from the radar map." | Mr Lellouche told the Guardian: "It's pathetic. It's just very sad to see Britain, so important in Europe, just cutting itself out from the rest and disappearing from the radar map." |
| "They have essentially castrated your UK influence in the European parliament," he added. | "They have essentially castrated your UK influence in the European parliament," he added. |
| Shadow foreign secretary William Hague insisted Mr Lellouche's comments did not represent the true reaction to the party's plans in Europe. | |
| "I don't think you will find that's representative of the reaction in Paris or other European capitals," he said. | |
| Fully ratified | |
| He told the BBC's Newsnight programme that his party had established good relations with French President Nicolas Sarkozy's party. | |
| He said they expected some countries to say that what they had set out could never be negotiated, but that the Tories would use "patience and persistence" to push for what they wanted over the lifetime of the next parliament. | |
| When asked about the party's abandonment of its original pledge to hold a referendum in the Lisbon Treaty, he said: "We have to deal with the world as it is not as we wish it to be." | |
| Mr Cameron unveiled the new set of policies on Wednesday after conceding a referendum on the treaty was not possible. | |
| The Lisbon Treaty has now been fully ratified by all 27 member states and will come into force on 1 December. |