“a small step in the right direction”

Just because Cameron is committed to pulling out of the EPP, it doesn’t mean he wants to pull out of the EU entirely does it?

I’ve come across this webpage, encouraging people to bombard Tory MEPs with standard letters about leaving the EPP.

Two things scream out to me with this campaign. Firstly, these two notes:

1) Leaving the EU is not on the agenda. This is a small step in the right direction though.
2) The tone is purposely calm and middle of the road. We don’t want to be seen as extremists, but rather as normal voters.

In any other party, point 2 wouldn’t need to be said. The second sentence in point 1 gives the game away: leaving the EPP is the first step towards a policy of leaving the EU.

Think I’m exaggerating? Well, the standard letter also includes this line:

I was more than a little surprised to learn that the group that we associate with in the European Parliament was so keen on Ever Closer union, a position that is totally incompatible with our belief in national sovereignty.

The phrase “Ever Closer Union” is in the Rome Treaty – we – specifically the Conservatives – signed up to it in 1971. We – specifically the Conservatives – signed up to it in Maastricht. It doesn’t automatically mean constitutional union, and it is the inevitable outcome of a multiple countries working together on specific areas of economic and social policy.

Sing it loud and proud: Cameron would seek to pull us out of the EU. He’s entitled to his view, but it would be nice if he just came out and admitted it.