Don't let us down, William & David

I am perfectly happy with the substance of our new European policy, as specified by Cameron last week, as I explain here.  But discussions like this from Hague today need to be pitched differently or they risk getting the leadership into terrible trouble.  Hague says:

"There will be no instant bust up with Europe with a six month deadline or anything like that to achieve these objectives because you have to find your moment to achieve these objectives whenever it may be...So we will possibly have to take our time in order to achieve those things...We recognise it’s difficult and that’s why we say these are things to look for over the life time of a parliament...I am very determined that those things will happen. But we say this to ourselves and to those who may criticise us: we expect to be elected...If we are elected next year, with the worst financial position of any government coming to power at any time since the Second World War, with all of these problems – Afghanistan, Pakistan – international relations must be on our minds 24-hours-a-day...In that situation going into a great crisis with the European Union the moment we are elected is not the right thing for the national interests or for the interests of that new government.”

I believe that Hague is emphasizing the wrong point here (with the result that the headline in the Telegraph states "William Hague: Tories would not take on Europe for some years").  The point he should be emphasizing is where he says "these are things to look for over the life time of a parliament...I am very determined that those things will happen".  That's good.  If he makes them happen, we'll be pleased.  But what he should not, not be suggesting, unless he wants to generate a massive split in the party, is that the policy is to be a low priority, something not all that important in a world of deficits to cut and wars to fight, something we might or might not get around to one day if we've nothing better to do.  As I have argued here, Cameron's hierarchy are mistaken if they believe that the route to an easy life is by doing little on Europe, and equally mistaken if they believe that addressing the Party's overwhelming (and country's heavy majority) concerns over Europe would use up political capital rather than create it for other priorities such as public spending cuts, the broken society, and education reform.

Of course, not everything needs to be achieved in the first five minutes.  As Tim says, the key test is whether the UK's relationship with our European partners is materially different by the end of a Parliament, and Hague says he is determined that it will be.  But, given the history of EU changes being brought in subtly and via repetition and patience until opposition is exhausted, the only credible European renegotiation policy is one that involves beginning the process straight away.  That is the path of least distraction, the party's best chance of staying united on Europe and being able to focus attention on other important matters.