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It is perhaps both alarming and predictable that it has taken the intervention of France's Europe minister to bring the Conservative party's position on Europe to the fore (France: 'autistic Tories castrated UK', 5 November).
The French position makes it clear that the Conservatives are misguided, reactionary and engaging in damaging political posturing.
So how is it to be explained? The simple answer is that the party remains wracked by indecision and division over Europe and that Cameron is following a long line of Conservative leaders in talking tough on Europe for political gain.Yet there is potentially a more insidious aspect to Cameron's position.
In talking tough on Europe, he is coming dangerously close to the language used by both the BNP and Ukip on this issue - pandering to political extremism, isolationism and petty nationalism.
To this degree, the Conservatives are following generations of the debate on immigration and asylum, with politicians mainstreaming arguments which should be marginalised.
It is time to reject such approaches and to acknowledge that, while the EU is not perfect, Britain's best interests are served by operating at its heart.Dr Nick RobinsonLecturer in EU public policy, University of Leeds• The Guardian's very full coverage of Cameron's "pitiful" unveiling of Tory policy on Europe (Editorial, 5 November) properly reflects the political significance of his embarrassment over the Lisbon treaty and the rejection of the European People's Party group in favour of a group of minor rightwing parties in Europe.By contrast the BBC's flagship evening news on Wednesday did not report on Cameron's response until 20 minutes into the programme.
The coverage was comparatively slight and lacked any of the forensic analysis and critical glee that duly attends any embarrassment on the government side.There is a temptation to fear that in some respects the BBC News editorial approach is somewhat cowed when it comes to looking at Tory policy.
I wonder whether you had that in mind when you juxtaposed an inset into your Cameron's Europe Crisis report a piece (Media messages, 5 November) on how the Tory leader threatens to "rein in" the BBC while giving more licence to Murdoch's media empire.Roger TrueloveSittingbourne, Kent• Mr Cameron's Tories cry foul at the lack of consultation before the Lisbon treaty was ratified - but where was their concern for Britons' approval when China joined the World Trade Organisation? Why weren't we asked before BA, BP, BT and the rest were privatised? And what is their excuse for ignoring UK public opinion when Tony Blair took us to war?All these events had - and will continue to have - far profounder effects on our lives than the Lisbon treaty.The Tories' anger is disingenuous.
It panders to the Little Englandism among their members and as they cosy up to the ultra-rightists in the European parliament, they will indeed "castrate" the British position and further isolate our point of view from important decision-making in Europe.Eurof ThomasAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates• It is possible to be globally outward-looking and patriotically British.
As Churchill observed after the second world war, our best path lay in going forward with our European neighbours.
Under the current 27 EU nations this now numbers almost half a billion in population, a good third more than the US.
How potentially great is that?The Hague-Cameron extremist pact would do well to remember that our British historical roots, in the main, derive from a melange of European tribes - from the Celts and Anglo-Saxons to the Danes and Normans.
But Eurosceptic MPs and MEPs will have us all sidelined as little islanders ranting and raving, snapping and sniping at our brothers.
Never forget that western democratic ideals were pan-European from the days of ancient Greece through to the French revolution and Britain's universal suffrage.Roz DennyFittleworth, West Sussex• For Pierre Lellouche to compare thousands of the most innocent, honest and straightforward members of society to the compromised, corrupt and institutionally opportunist Conservative party is breathtakingly offensive.
I sincerely hope he is not reflecting the attitudes of M Sarkozy, and I call on him to apologise.S ClarkeCambridge• The Tories most certainly have lost power and influence in the European parliament since leaving the largest group in the European parliament, and it is absurd for Timothy Kirkhope, leader of the British Tory MEPs (Letters, 3 November), to pretend otherwise.A major British interest currently on the EU agenda is the reform of financial services regulations, yet the Tories could not get a place on the parliament's financial crisis committee.
Their new European Conservatives and Reformists Group is not even united on an issue as fundamental as the Lisbon treaty: group leader Michal Kaminski supports it.By disowning the EU, the Tories and their allies are only able to claim a place at formal European parliament meetings where their views are ignored anyway.
A delegation as large as the British Conservatives should expect far more influence in the parliament than one committee chair.The Tories want to be seen as serious politicians, able to tackle the huge problems of climate change, global poverty and trade, yet they have withdrawn from their alliance with some of the leading European partners, to throw their lot with a motley crew of politicians of little import.
This new Tory creation, the ECR group, is destined to be short-lived and to have little impact, and will mainly serve to paper over Tory divisions over Europe.Glenis Willmott MEPLeader of the British Labour MEPs
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