Ed Miliband hits out at David Cameron over Europe crisis

Labour leader accuses No 10 of abdicating responsibility by not seeking place at crucial eurozone summit next week Ed Miliband has attacked David Cameron for not seeking a place at next week’s crucial eurozone summit, describing the crisis in the single currency region as a “hugely dangerous moment for the world”. In an interview with the Guardian , the Labour leader accused the prime minister of an abdication of responsibility and said he should be “banging on the door to maintain British influence” over the future shape of Europe. Ed Miliband says he is seeking to save Cameron from his “barking” Tory eurosceptics, who have been urging the prime minister to keep his distance. Cameron is due to fly to a Commonwealth summit in Perth next Wednesday when the 17 eurozone leaders meet to agree a deal to save Greece from default, strengthen European banks and construct a multibillion-euro defence fund to protect the euro from future debt crises. In his first interview on Europe since becoming Labour leader, Miliband said Cameron should be demanding that all 27 heads of state attend, as the decisions will determine the prospects for Europe and the world economy. The prime minister is to attend part of a European council summit tomorrow, but with France and Germany at loggerheads, key decisions have been postponed until Wednesday’s gathering. British officials had earlier been claiming that there was no need for Cameron to attend this meeting, but the issue could be reopened. Miliband said: “This is a hugely dangerous moment for the world and a hugely worrying time for millions of British families. With Britain’s economy flatlining for the past year, and a real threat that the global economy will be bumping along the bottom unless urgent action is taken, David Cameron should be banging on the door to maintain British influence. When all the other leading EU nations meet to thrash out a desperately needed deal, we have a prime minister who is going to be on the other side of the world. It is a complete abdication.” It was, Miliband said, symptomatic of a prime minister who seemed to glory in the prospect of a two-speed Europe and regarded the euro crisis chiefly as a useful alibi for the UK’s economic slowdown. Cameron should be intimately involved in the discussions on the Greek bailout, the recapitalisation of European banks, and a new European economic architecture, he added, warning that otherwise Britain would be marginalised on vital issues such as financial services and the single market. The current European policy of collective austerity, advocated by centre-right leaders, was not working, he said. He described calls by Tory backbenchers for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, or a renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with Europe, as a reckless distraction. He also said Labour’s decision to oppose the call for an “in or out” referendum meant the prime minister would not lose Monday’s Commons vote. “That means Cameron has a responsibility to make sure he does not put the party interest before the national interest, and he does not play footsie with this huge phalanx of sceptics in the Tory party.” He is concerned that the prime minister will try to minimalise a threatened 62-strong rebellion by offering backroom deals on Britain’s future status in Europe. A series of ministers have issued private warnings to No 10 to adopt a less hardline approach in Monday’s debate amid growing anger at Cameron’s handling of the vote. It is understood that a number have contacted No 10 to advise his staff to abandon a three-line whip in the vote. They have suggested that a less stringent one-line whip may help to calm matters. Cameron plans to meet parliamentary private secretaries – ministerial aides – on Monday to win over waverers. No 10 is braced for “one or two resignations” after Stewart Jackson, PPS to the Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson, said he wanted to support the backbench motion calling for a referendum. The government upset MPs on Wednesday when it imposed the three-line whip requiring Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against a motion that calls for a referendum within two years on Britain’s membership of the EU. Ministers brought forward the vote from Thursday to allow William Hague, who will be in Australia at the end of next week, to take part. One government source said: “Downing Street have handled this disastrously badly. This is a potentially massive car crash.” The pressure on Cameron was highlighted when George Eustice, his former press secretary, launched a strong attack on No 10 after it rejected a compromise amendment he had tabled. The prime minister agrees with Eustice’s position, which is to call on the government to hold a referendum after renegotiating Britain’s relationship with the EU. But Cameron rejected the Eustice amendment because it is unacceptable to the Lib Dems. Eustice, who will now rebel, told BBC Radio Cornwall: “The truth is most frontbenchers agree with the backbenchers. They are being put in an incredibly difficult position by the government. I think the government has handled it very, very badly and have escalated this into a conflict that was entirely unnecessary.” America and China have again urged EU leaders to resolve the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis and prevent the world sliding into another slump. As it emerged that no decisions would be taken until the summit on Wednesday, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao told EU leaders to stop the debt crisis spreading and lectured them on the need to carry out structural reform. In a telephone conversation with Herman Van Rompuy, European council president, Wen said: “The most urgent task is to take decisive measures to prevent the debt crisis spreading further and avoid financial market turbulence, a recession and fluctuations in the euro.” Ed Miliband David Cameron Europe European debt crisis Economic policy European banks Patrick Wintour Nicholas Watt David Gow guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 21, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.