At a time when the Tories have been getting a good press, there is one area where they are shown to be weak, divided and clearly unwilling to break with their past – Europe.
Yet because Labour has become crabbed, cautious and confined on being strongly pro-European, the Conservatives are getting a free ride. The new Europe minister, Geoff Hoon, is doing great work. But where are the ministers, wannabe deputy leaders or future prime ministers who are making the case for Europe?
On Europe, the Conservatives reveal their true selves. They are deeply hostile to cooperation with the Europeans, profoundly opposed to any moves which makes for a stronger Europe to deliver a better deal for British citizens, and often openly contemptuous of other political leaders in Europe – even leaders of sister right-wing parties.
To be sure, the European issue has been off the boil in UK politics as a result of the defeat of the EU constitution in France and the Netherlands. Moreover, UK entry into the euro is not on the horizon, even though a number of euroland economies are doing better than the UK.
Europe remains the global space where economic and social politics should combine. The alternative is to give in to the siren voices of economic neo-conservatism, for whom increased poverty, more inequality and social authoritarianism are to be encouraged rather than vanquished.
So European issues remain central to progressive, reformist and radical politics for the next era of Labour politics and government.
In particular, the hostility to Europe shown by David Cameron, William Hague, Liam Fox and George Osborne, and the raucous support for UK withdrawal from Europe by Tory MPs such as Shipley’s energetic Phil Davies or the Daily Telegraph leader-writer and Europhobe Tory MEP Daniel Hannan, need to be kept constantly exposed and criticised by Labour.
This is clear-blue-water politics. As Cameron seeks to narrow the public’s perception of the gap between the Tories and Labour, there is one issue on which he stands hopelessly exposed as being to the right of the Thatcher-Major era – namely Europe.
Labour ministers, MPs and party members have to start thinking now about the 2009 European parliament elections, which may coincide with a general election. UKIP remain strong and the BNP are likely to stoke up anti-EU passions as part of their nationalistic politics. We need new proposals on social Europe, and it is vital that trade unions and workers see the EU as supporting their aspirations.
We also need to defeat protectionist populism. Global warming and environmental issues cannot be solved by politics in one country. To deal with trafficking and the globalisation of crime, more not less European-level work is needed. To guarantee that low-cost airlines can fly our constituents, and that our voters can spend time living, working or studying in Europe, we need to defeat the Tory MPs and MEPs who want to bust up the whole idea of a strong, confident EU.
Labour must be ready to lead that debate. It needs to start thinking now about constructive solutions, find like-minded progressive political partners, and keep hammering and exposing the Tories for their petty, nationalist, isolationist hostility to European partnership.
Before a new leadership emerges, it is vital that a positive and progressive approach to Europe is seen from all senior Labour figures. Leave anti-Europeanism to Cameron, Hague and the Tories, the Mail and the Telegraph. Labour must remain the party of British interests in Europe.