Is Europe Iain Dale's Blind Spot?

There's been a lot of fuss made about bloggers and blogging in and around the Conservative Party conference at Blackpool.  Iain Dale, for example has focused much of his attention on his friend and hero David Davis, and expressed much excitement, while being highly active as a participant in many fringe meetings.  He is a 'good sport' and will join in whenever he's offered the chance.

With Dale so busy, it has fallen to some of the 'less well known' blogs to witness significant events.  Dizzy, for example gave this good report on William Hague's speech and how, in a word he totally transformed Conservative Party Policy on Europe.  As I am in foreign parts I don't have much to go on in the MSM, but I haven't seen anything to confirm this story, for example on the BBC.

Hague's speech indicates that much has happened here.  Presumably Ken Clarke will have acceded to this policy change, as he has not made any outbursts of blind rage as he did over Cameron's early moves to quit the EPP, which effectively scuppered them.  Heseltine too who has in the past been critical of any Conservative moves to loosen ties with the EU, has been openly supportive of Cameron in recent weeks, and has offered some strangely eurosceptic sounding opinions such as in his article in the Sunday telegraph on 30.9.07 - as follows -

There is, however, one issue on which it is well known that David Cameron and I differ, and that is Europe. In every party, questions over Europe are controversial and the Conservative Party is no exception. But I believe there is a European agenda on which we can unite.

Take the fact that the EU's accounts are never signed off by their auditors; it is a disgrace. David Cameron should take a tough stance on this, even being willing to withhold our contribution to the EU until the accounts are sorted out.

It's not only happening in the Conservative Party.  The first moves away from the EU were visible in the Murdoch media.  While Blair was still in situ, Murdoch played for Blair.  But as soon as Blair went, The Sun's anti-EU campaign anti-Gordon Brown burst into life, demanding a referendum on the Constitution.  That too represents a transformation.  It cannot all be coincidental.

Behind Murdoch's changeover from supporting europhile Blair to opposing Brown and the EU Constitution, and the weakening of Heseltine and Ken Clarke's previously hardline pro-EU positions, could possibly be a change of heart in the USA about the EU.  For fifty years they have pushed Britain along and chivvied us to conform with the EU.  Could it be that they have recently seen the light and realised that the EU will predominantly operate in competition with and opposition to US power, not in cooperation?  Murdoch could hardly move so strongly against the EU without his main backers in the US in agreement.

It is also possible that confidential briefings about the new threat posed by Russian aggression and the pathetic nature of Europe's ability to defend itself, is persuading many previous pro-EU politician to rethink the longterm strategic picture.

So while the reports from blogs about Cameron using the word 'pissed' and other trivia fill the 'sphere, one wonders why Dizzy is the only one who saw the key event. 

Why indeed, does Iain Dale always avoid the topic of the EU in his blog?  Dale gives a clue in his piece on the Day 3 speeches. 'I haven't always seen eye to eye with IDS' he writes, and he has of course slated IDS' 2003 conference speech in the past. 

The question in my mind is whether Iain Dale is a europhile.  It seems unlikely that he holds no view as he holds one on mostly everything else, but surprisingly when you think about it, his views on the EU are not very clear.  David Davis is also a bit of an unknown in his views on the EU, other than he was the Chief Whip under John Major when he whipped the Maastricht Treaty through the Commons.  The most obdurate and determined of the Maastricht rebels was of course IDS. 

Past and present associations may of course not be significant, but there is definitely a pattern, which might explain why Iain Dale is not always on the money when he's trying to spot the trends, especially when it comes to EU Conservative Policy.  Maybe his loyalties blind his judgement.  It does seem to be blind spot.   

Comments

[Iain Dale]

So off the ball as to be risible. Anyone who knows me knows I am as Eurosceptic as they come. I would repatriate as many powers as possible, vote against the European Constitution and would NEVER EVER vote to join the Euro.

Enough for you? Enough to get a retraction?!

[Tapestry]

Thank you for that, Iain. That sure as hell answers the main charge. I guess your differences with IDS are not European in origin then. I have never seen such a clear statement from you on matters EU before. You have answered all my maybes with a definite.

I guess you are so focused on finding out what other people think that your own viewpoint is not as clear as you imagine.