UK rejection of euro talks defended

The UK's Europe minister David Lidington has claimed that the choice to reject the EU’s fiscal co-operation pact rather than taking part in negotiations was ‘cleaner’ for the government. Speaking to a Lords committee, he said “bad-tempered wrangling” would have been the only result of saying yes to the talks and then no to a treaty later.

Prime Minister David Cameron claims the government did not sign up as the UK was not offered sufficient safeguards. But according to Lord Maclennan, a Liberal Democrats peer, the UK intended to wreck negotiations.

The UK was accused of isolating Europe when it refused to sign an agreement on the future of budgetary co-operation in December. According to Mr Lidington’s comments to the EU Lords Committee, both senior Liberal Democrats and Conservatives were in complete agreement about the approach.

He also claimed that the UK needed certain safeguards before it could agree on the shape of the eurozone, even though there was no formal treaty when proposals were rejected. Lidington added that it is clear the PM thought it was cleaner to simply say no to talks rather than spending months arguing about matters.

Lord Hannay, a crossbench peer, said they government should have taken their lead from Baroness Thatcher who would always take part in negotiations about the EU but reserved to right to block any if she could not exert her influence. Lidington, however, claimed the situation faced in December was very different to those seen in the euro’s earlier days.