Today I know many of you will want to post on this topic whatever I write, so let me give you the heading you want to let you say what you wish.
I have little to say on the topic. I find Mr Carswell’s timing curious. We have moved the Conservative party to say that our current relationship with the EU is not working for the UK, and needs to be changed. We have moved the leadership to offer a renegotiation. More importantly they have offered a referendum on the results. That means if they are unable to negotiate a decent relationship based on trade and political co-operation which allows us to have self government back over the things that matter, the UK voters will be able to vote for out. The party leadership also now recognises that there are circumstances in which the government would have to recommend exit, if the EU does not come up with sensible proposals for the UK.
Given this, what matters now most of all is a Conservative majority in 2015 to deliver the renegotiation and the referendum. Had Mr Carswell resigned from the Conservative party and from Parliament a couple of years ago before we had achieved the changes of policy we needed I could have understood, though I would still have argued we had every prospect of winning the arguments within the Conservative party, as time proved we could. To leave now when we are on the cusp of success in changing the relationship or simply leaving the EU altogether on a vote of the people is curious.
I note that the incumbent UKIP candidate for Parliament in Clacton understandably does not wish to give way to Mr Carswell to be the UKIP candidate. It just shows how difficult any deal between UKIP and the Conservatives would be, if UKIP cannot even work out who will be their candidate in Clacton for the by election to chose a new MP for around just 5 months service.
Mr Carswell we are told is a man of principle. You should therefore take to heart his recent statements on the topic of the EU and the PM:
“In order to exit the EU we need David Cameron to be our PM”
“Only the Conservatives will guarantee and deliver an In/Out referendum. It will only happen if Cameron is PM”
“Nothing we do must make the prospect of an In/Out referendum vote less likely”
Cameron’s Bloomberg speech on the EU was “100% right”
Words of Mr Carswell to treasure.