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Philip Hammond rejects Tory MPs' demand for veto over EU laws Philip Hammond rejects Tory MPs' demand for veto over EU laws
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Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, has set the stage for a showdown with a new group of eurosceptic Tory MPs by dismissing their central demand to assert the supremacy of parliament over the EU.Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, has set the stage for a showdown with a new group of eurosceptic Tory MPs by dismissing their central demand to assert the supremacy of parliament over the EU.
As the Labour leadership contender Liz Kendall accused David Cameron of showing a profound lack of leadership over the EU, the foreign secretary said it would be impossible to give parliament a unilateral veto over EU laws.As the Labour leadership contender Liz Kendall accused David Cameron of showing a profound lack of leadership over the EU, the foreign secretary said it would be impossible to give parliament a unilateral veto over EU laws.
Hammond spoke out after a new group of Tory MPs, Conservatives for Britain, said they would campaign for a No vote in the EU referendum unless parliament is able to assert its supremacy over the EU. This would mean repealing the legislation that paved the way for the UK to join the EEC in 1973, which asserts the primacy of EU law. Hammond spoke out after a new group of Tory MPs, Conservatives for Britain, said they would campaign for a no vote in the EU referendum unless parliament is able to assert its supremacy over the EU. This would mean repealing the legislation that paved the way for the UK to join the EEC in 1973, which asserts the primacy of EU law.
The foreign secretary said the demand tabled by the new 50-strong Tory group would be impossible to meet. He told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: “If you were talking about the House of Commons having a unilateral red card veto – that is not achievable, that’s not negotiable, because that would effectively be the end of the EU. What we are looking for is a system where a group of national parliaments could operate a red card.”The foreign secretary said the demand tabled by the new 50-strong Tory group would be impossible to meet. He told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: “If you were talking about the House of Commons having a unilateral red card veto – that is not achievable, that’s not negotiable, because that would effectively be the end of the EU. What we are looking for is a system where a group of national parliaments could operate a red card.”
The intervention by the foreign secretary, who said that Britain’s EU membership was “fixable” in the prime minister’s planned renegotiations, suggests that ministers are prepared to confront hardline Tory eurosceptics. The intervention by the foreign secretary, who said Britain’s EU membership was “fixable” in the prime minister’s planned renegotiations, suggests that ministers are prepared to confront hardline Tory eurosceptics.
Conservatives for Britain launched their campaign on Sunday with a warning that they would campaign for a No vote unless the prime minister toughens his negotiating stance. One of their main demands is to assert the supremacy of parliament. Conservatives for Britain launched their campaign on Sunday with a warning that they would campaign for a no vote unless the prime minister toughens his negotiating stance. One of their main demands is to assert the supremacy of parliament.
Steve Baker, the Conservative MP for Wycombe, wrote in a Sunday Telegraph article: “We need a Parliament which can decide the level of British taxpayers’ contributions to the EU, what regulations should apply to our businesses, how to control EU migration, and our trade relations with the rest of the world. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP for Wycombe, wrote in a Sunday Telegraph article: “We need a parliament which can decide the level of British taxpayers’ contributions to the EU, what regulations should apply to our businesses, how to control EU migration, and our trade relations with the rest of the world.
“In short, we need a sovereign Parliament which can answer the demands of our electors. Without this, it seems likely many Conservative MPs will conclude that the best interests of the UK, Europe and the wider world, and the cause of peaceful international co-operation, would be advanced by the UK leaving the European Union to pursue a relationship of peaceful trade and political co-operation among sovereign nations.” “In short, we need a sovereign parliament which can answer the demands of our electors. Without this, it seems likely many Conservative MPs will conclude that the best interests of the UK, Europe and the wider world, and the cause of peaceful international co-operation, would be advanced by the UK leaving the European Union to pursue a relationship of peaceful trade and political co-operation among sovereign nations.”
In his BBC interview, Hammond said the government was confident of succeeding in its attempts to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership terms as he suggested that ministers would be expected to support the prime minister in the referendum. Cameron hopes to impose a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits; to give Britain an opt-out from the EU’s commitment to create an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe; to give non-eurozone countries greater protections in the single market and to give EU countries greater powers to club together to block EU legislation.In his BBC interview, Hammond said the government was confident of succeeding in its attempts to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership terms as he suggested that ministers would be expected to support the prime minister in the referendum. Cameron hopes to impose a four-year ban on EU migrants claiming in-work benefits; to give Britain an opt-out from the EU’s commitment to create an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe; to give non-eurozone countries greater protections in the single market and to give EU countries greater powers to club together to block EU legislation.
Hammond said: “We are clear that the EU isn’t working, as it is, at the moment. It is not fit for the 21st century. But we think it is fixable, that we can get a package of reform that will make it work in Britain’s interests.”Hammond said: “We are clear that the EU isn’t working, as it is, at the moment. It is not fit for the 21st century. But we think it is fixable, that we can get a package of reform that will make it work in Britain’s interests.”
Related: 50 Conservative MPs ready to lead campaign for EU exitRelated: 50 Conservative MPs ready to lead campaign for EU exit
The foreign secretary said it was important to secure treaty change to protect Britain from “judicial attack” from the European Court of Justice. He said: “We think we do need treaty change, we think some of the changes – in particular [those] we are demanding around availability of welfare benefits for new migrants from the EU – can only be sustained from judicial attack in the European courts. It is not treaty change for its own sake, it is treaty change in order to protect the real material changes we need to get from judicial attack.” The foreign secretary said it was important to secure treaty change to protect Britain from “judicial attack” from the European court of justice. He said: “We think we do need treaty change, we think some of the changes – in particular [those] we are demanding around availability of welfare benefits for new migrants from the EU – can only be sustained from judicial attack in the European courts. It is not treaty change for its own sake, it is treaty change in order to protect the real material changes we need to get from judicial attack.”
Kendall said the government’s plan to block EU migrants from claiming in-work benefits for four years should be looked at. But she said that Britain’s EU membership was more important than any of the demands on Cameron’s EU renegotiations list, as she said she would campaign to remain in the EU regardless of the negotiations.Kendall said the government’s plan to block EU migrants from claiming in-work benefits for four years should be looked at. But she said that Britain’s EU membership was more important than any of the demands on Cameron’s EU renegotiations list, as she said she would campaign to remain in the EU regardless of the negotiations.
The shadow social care minister told The Andrew Marr Show: “David Cameron has allowed this [in-work benefits ban] to define whether or not Britain remains part of Europe. That is a profound lack of leadership on his behalf because he is more concerned about internal political management than the future of the country. That will not happen if I am leader of the Labour party.” The shadow social care minister told the Andrew Marr Show: “David Cameron has allowed this [in-work benefits ban] to define whether or not Britain remains part of Europe. That is a profound lack of leadership on his behalf because he is more concerned about internal political management than the future of the country. That will not happen if I am leader of the Labour party.”
Andy Burnham, another contender for the Labour leadership, said: “David Cameron will continue to struggle to get the best deal for Britain if his party tears itself apart over Europe. Now that the Tory campaign against EU membership is taking shape, Cameron needs to show that he can deliver reform in Europe or make way for a party that can.
“Labour under my leadership will be a strong pro-European party which, through a constructive relationship with European partners, is able to make the changes we need to see. It is imperative that we go into the EU referendum with changes to meet the public’s concerns on immigration. But I am becoming less confident by the day that David Cameron will be able to deliver them.
“I will establish a separate ‘Labour Yes’ campaign, alongside the wider in movement, to learn the lessons of Scotland’s independence referendum. But, unlike David Cameron, I will be strong in defending Britain’s place in Europe as the best bet for British business and jobs.”