David Cameron needs Angela Merkel. It is not something that his backbenchers would like to admit, but the simple fact is that in order to secure any progress on reform in the European Union he will need to win support from the German chancellor. The problem for Cameron remains that he and his party are unable to make up their minds about Europe and are putting not just his ambitions of treaty change in jeopardy but, much more worryingly, the long-term interests of the UK as well.
Everyone familiar with European politics knows the enormous upset that was caused when Cameron, in order to appease his Eurosceptics, quit the European People’s party group of centre-right parties in the European parliament. In one fell swoop he managed to alienate his party from potential allies on the right while both reducing his party’s influence in Europe and failing to quash calls from his own backbenchers. Just days before Merkel’s visit we were confronted with the extraordinary spectacle of Conservative MEPs allegedly arguing in favour of a coalition with a party that represents a major thorn in the German chancellor’s side: the anti-European Alternative für Deutschland.
Whether such a proposition is real or not, there are many on the right who would not think twice about such a move. No crass intervention on Europe is unthinkable among the Tory right, even if it risks embarrassing the prime minister on the eve of a crucial bilateral with the one person whose support he desperately needs.
Furthermore these interventions are not limited to the fringes of the Conservative party. In spite of the obvious effect that casting doubts on our continued membership of the EU has on British business and jobs even the chancellor of the exchequer has seen fit to wade in with threats about our continued membership.
Cameron’s approach to Europe has more to do with trying to get his party back in line than getting the economy back on track. It is a testament to the prime minister’s weakness that he is allowing, under pressure from the United Kingdom Independence party and his own agitators, the UK to drift towards the exit door. The end result is that this week’s visit might resemble something of an afterthought because he has to spend more time negotiating with his own backbenchers than with our European partners.
Some of this might give succour to us in the Labour party. After all, if Cameron were any good at building the alliances he needs then he might well already have been able to deliver on far-reaching reform to the rules and regulations governing our rights at work, something that he and the German chancellor do agree on. Such a move would undermine so much of what we have fought hard for. And Labour must always be ready to make the case that only we can provide the reform Europe needs while protecting our fundamental rights.
But finding comfort in his weakness would be misplaced. That threat, as long as there is a strong enough right wing in European politics, will remain, with or without Cameron. What should worry us also about this prime minister is his fundamental inability to manage the UK’s reputation and credibility with our European allies because of his fundamental inability to manage his own party.
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Seb Dance is a Labour candidate for the European parliament in London. He tweets @SebDance
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