David Cameron's European Policies Criticised by Tory Grandees
THE TELEGRAPH: David Cameron's policies on Europe have come under fire from a group of Tory grandees, less than a week before the European elections

David Cameron has come under fire from Tory grandees. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
The Conservative leader, who is currently on a tour of the Czech Republic and Poland, is preparing to remove his MEPs from the European People's Party after Thursday's elections. He is also planning to reopen the Lisbon Treaty debate and stage a referendum on it in Britain if he wins power.

Several retired senior diplomats and two former Tory cabinet ministers have strongly criticised his policies however.

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, a former head of the Foreign Office who was Britain's ambassador to the EU at the time of the Maastricht treaty negotiations in 1991, told The Guardian: "I do not understand a rigid commitment to impotence.

"I do not understand why (the Czech and Polish parties who will form a new group with the Tories) are preferable to Angela Merkel or Nicolas Sarkozy, or why they think the route to influence lies that way."

Lord Tugendhat and Lord Patten, former Conservative European commissioners, called the move "unwise", while Lord Brittan, another former Commissioner and ex-Home Secretary said: "There is no doubt that the attempt to leave the EPP has annoyed a lot of the European leaders who are members of the EPP and are in government.

"It will make it more difficult to establish relations with them." >>> By Chris Irvine | Saturday, May 30, 2009

High Class Welfare!
THE TELEGRAPH: Senior Conservatives have subsidised their country estates at taxpayers’ expense, with the upkeep of swimming pools, clearance of moats and even the salaries of domestic staff, all claimed on parliamentary expenses.

The Daily Telegraph discloses how Tory grandees have received tens of thousands of pounds to maintain manor houses and stately homes. One claimed successfully towards the cost of a full-time housekeeper with a salary package of £14,000 a year, along with a claim including £2,000 for clearing the moat surrounding his manor house. Another was allowed to claim for a “helipad” to be maintained.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was understood to be “appalled” by the latest allegations and was considering taking disciplinary action. Tories who have broken the rules on expenses could be sacked, Mr Cameron has suggested.

The disclosures will further alarm taxpayers and add to concern over the operation of the House of Commons fees office, which is supposed to police the parliamentary expenses system. MPs' Expenses: Paying Bills for Tory Grandees >>> By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor | Tuesday, May 12, 2009

MAIL Online: MPs' EXPENSES: Lord Tebbit Defies Tories to Tell Voters: 'Don't Vote for ANY Party in European Elections'

Lord Tebbit. Photo courtesy of MailOnline
Lord Tebbit is risking expulsion from the Conservatives after urging voters not to back the party in next month's European elections.

The former Tory chairman said the vote gave anyone outraged by MPs' abuse of expenses an 'ideal opportunity' to send a message to all three main parties by not voting for any of them.

The call from a senior party grandee is an extraordinary challenge to David Cameron's authority in the run-up to the June 4 poll.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, 78-year-old Lord Tebbit said it was clear that Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs had been behaving like 'welfare junkies' addicted to abusing their Commons allowances.

'Local elections, the great British public should treat just as normal,' he said. 'But at the European elections, in my judgment they should send a very sharp message to the leaders of the three national parties by not voting for any of the national party candidates.'

Norman Tebbit, who was one of Margaret Thatcher's closest allies, refused to say which of the smaller parties he believed voters should back.

'I wouldn't seek to give any advice on that,' he said. 'But if there was an enormous fall in the vote for the major parties, the message might get through.' >>> By James Chapman | Tuesday, May 12, 2009