wheeler

THE HUNTSMAN

PROMISES, PROMISES

Sir Stuart Wheeler is well-known as a doughty fighter against the great behemoth that is the EU and, in particular, the continued membership of the UK of that deeply corrupt entity. In the past he has been a significant donor to the Conservative Party but now he is threatening to take himself elsewhere. He can, of course, do as he pleases. But is he wise so to do?
Stuart Wheeler


Stuart Wheeler:
an honourable man who
rightly distrusts the Tory
position on the EU.
He is, it seems about to issue an ultimatum to the Conservative Party in these terms:

If the Conservative Party will not make these pledges:
1. A promise that if the Lisbon Treaty is not law when they come to power, they will hold a referendum on whether to withdraw UK ratification.

2. A promise that if the Lisbon Treaty is law when they come to power, there will be an immediate, massive renegotiation of the UK's relationship with the EU. If the UK did not get what it wants, the UK should pull out of the Union altogether. As I say, it is his money and he is entitled to do with it what he wishes. Indeed, between 2001 and December 2007 he has given some £3,879,300.90, but not a penny since then. That is very much his choice.




Now he threatens not to pay any more but to take his cash elsewhere.


The problem is that, the Tories believe that to allow the word 'Europe' to pass their lips will cause the electorate to run a mile. Redolent as it is of the appalling divisions over Europe spawned by the refusal of the Europhile clique that had, post-Thatcher, seized control of the European Agenda at the top of the Tory Party and refused to hold a referendum over Maastricht, the present leadership is determined to be as opaque as possible over what its policy will be when it forms the next government. So getting a commitment of the specific kind that Sir Stuart wishes is, one suspects, not going to happen, for now at least.

But it cannot be long delayed as there is the small matter of elections to the European Parliament looming on the horizon in the summer of 2009.

So what then? The Spectator's Coffee House makes the point:

there is evidence that Wheeler's demands aren't politically toxic. Polling suggests that the public are
massively in support of a referendum, and - after the Irish 'No' vote - it seems that even Brussels
is inclined towards a new, looser relationship with the UK.

Read full article here... thehuntsman.com

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