Intergovernmental Conference (Hansard, 10 July 1996)

§ 11. Dr. Wright
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of countries which share the Government's principal priorities for the IGC. [35171]

§ Mr. David Davis
The United Kingdom's priorities for the intergovernmental conference are set out in "A Partnership of Nations". In many cases, we have substantial support, but in others less so. The Government will not sign up to an IGC outcome that does not satisfactorily meet our objectives.

§ Dr. Wright
Did the Minister happen to see the Gallup poll in The Daily Telegraph this week, which showed that, for every one person who thought that the British position in Europe had been strengthened by the recent bout of non-co-operation, five people felt that it had been weakened? Can the Minister assure the House that it is still British foreign policy in Europe to seek to win allies? If so, can he explain to some of his Back Benchers that that agenda will be advanced not by seeking yet more spectacular and embarrassing failures but by some solid negotiating successes?

§ Mr. Davis
Unlike the Labour party, the Government do not run their policy by ballot—[Interruption.]—by opinion polls, by focus groups or other such follow-my-leader methods. What was important about the non-co-operation policy—the Labour party clearly does not care for this—was the fact that it protected an industry of 650,000 people. Non-co-operation delivered protection for that industry and will continue to do so in the coming year.
As for the IGC, we shall of course develop allies in areas. I have only recently talked about Alain Juppé supporting us on the question of the European Court. There will be others too, as we shall see, as the IGC develops.

§ Mr. Lidington
Will my hon. Friend assure the House that, although the Government will not seek isolation in the forthcoming negotiations, they would not be afraid of isolation if that were to prove necessary to defend Britain's vital interests and to secure changes in European treaties in the interests of those whom we are sent to this place to represent?

§ Mr. Davis
My hon. Friend is completely right. Unlike the Labour party, if it is necessary to take tough policies, we shall take them.

§ Ms Quin
On Britain's role in the European Union, what does the Minister of State make of the reported comments of Governor Patten of Hong Kong that he wants a campaign to put Britain back at the heart of Europe? Given that the Prime Minister, when he came to office over five years ago, said that it was his aim to put Britain at the heart of Europe, does it not follow that Governor Patten thinks that the Prime Minister has spectacularly failed in his objective?

§ Mr. Davis
Exercising leadership in Europe is not a matter of giving in to every politically correct European idea. One of the problems that faces Europe is that, since 1990, the popularity of the European Union inside the countries of that union has fallen systematically. That can be said of every member state. The reason is that Europe has not met the needs of the members of Europe, and first and foremost in terms of employment, where the rest of Europe could do well to follow our example.