- Shadow Europe Minister "We want to be positively engaged in the European Union, and work with our European partners on climate change and maintaining our competitiveness in our economies, and fighting global poverty, but at the same time we should not be dragged into a Federal Europe."
News Desk - John Kaponi 4pm
Mark Francois Conservative Shadow Minister for Europe, has pledged his support to the efforts of local Enfield North Tory Nick De Bois, in the ongoing campaign to prevent the closure of maternity and A&E wards at local Chase Farm hospital. Enfield North, one of the "must win" seats for the Conservative Party in the general election, with Labour defending a slim majority of 1,920 votes, Francois is the first among many senior Conservatives expected to visit the target seat in the next weeks.
Speaking to the London Daily News Mark Francois the Shadow Europe Minister said:
"We see this as a key target and we need to win this seat to put David Cameron in Downing Street; the electorate of Enfield have a very important opportunity to help decide the next government".
Speaking directly to the electorate in Enfield North Francois said:
"It is important that the Conservatives win the general election to prevent the tax on jobs, preventing the economic recovery our country needs. We will not implement a rise in National Insurance contributions that Labour are committed to, that means we will not be raising the cost to employees, and will not be raising the cost for employers".
On the issue of Europe, Francois who defended the Conservatives decision to split from the European People's Party and form a smaller group the European Conservative and Reform group, he said:
"For a number of years our MEPs sat with the EPP, the European Peoples Party ultimately believes in a federal Europe we do not. When David Cameron became leader of the Conservative party he said it would be more honest to form a centre right group that does not believe in a Federal Europe".
"We want to be positively engaged in the European Union, and work with our European partners on climate change and maintaining our competitiveness in our economies, and fighting global poverty, but at the same time we should not be dragged into a Federal Europe."
"We would recommend a referendum block we would amend the 1972 European Communities Act if ever there was ever another treaty that would transfer powers from London to Brussels, by law this would only be decided on by a referendum. We would introduce Irish style referendum blocks into British law, so that it would be practically, and politically impossible for any party to remove this".
"Events in Greece vindicate our decision to never join the Euro".
The Conservative government would also work to prevent key aspects of the Lisbon Treaty becoming law in the UK Francois said:
"We believe the EU intervenes too much in our everyday lives, so if we win, we would negotiate to bring back some powers back to Britain firstly over the charter of fundamental rights to make sure legally this never applies to Britain. Secondly, over criminal justice, to prevent European judges interfering in our day-to-day running of our criminal justice system, Lisbon gives the opportunity to EU judges to do this; and thirdly in the area of social employment legislation, particularly as it affects public services. What we want is for the British public to give us a mandate to negotiate with Brussels"
With a strong representation of Turks in Enfield North Francoise was quick to underline the Conservative party's ongoing support for Turkey to join the European Union but qualified his remarks and said:
"We have supported for some time now the principle of Turkey joining the EU, providing of course Turkey fulfils all the criteria set out by the EU. Turkey is a military ally of ours, Turkey has energy resources that will help the EU, and we would rather have Turkey facing Europe than the east."
"Turkey would need to fulfil all the criteria laid down by the EU, but Turkey would need to also resolve the Cyprus problem, and win support from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus before joining the EU".
According to projections by The London Daily News Enfield North will fall to the Conservatives from Labour. photo credit: L-R Nick De Bois Enfield North Conservative candidate - Mark Francois Shadow Europe Minister
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