David Cameron’s Conservative Party leader in the European Parliament, Syed Kamall, refused to commit to campaigning for Britain to exit the European Union, in an astonishing about-face on his previous rhetoric which has in the past urged an end to Britain’s membership of the EU.
Mr. Kamall in Tory circles for preaching his so-called Euroscepticism to young right-wingers, and indeed in Washington, D.C. when he attends international delegations with other Tory-affiliated groups. But in public at least, Mr. Kamall won’t commit to a ‘Brexit’.
He recently lost the Conservative Party nomination for London Mayor, and has been named as “one to watch” by Politico’s Europe team. It seems that UKIP’s Tim Aker is watching him closely.
He asked Mr. Kamall in the Brussels Parliament yesterday, “…I’d like to ask him, now that the remain and leave sides have launched their campaigns, which side are you on?”
Mr. Kamall responded: “Well what a surprise that question is,” before going on to quote European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
“As Mr. Juncker said, we have to tango. We have to negotiate. And actually I will make up my mind when I see the deal that has been secured not only for the reform for the EU-UK relationship, but the whole EU.”
“Yes you’ve made up your mind,” he told Mr Aker, who was elected on the UKIP platform of leaving the European Union, “You made your mind before you even came here.
“What we need is a serious debate that understands the UK point of view, but understands that reform is not only wanted by people in Britain, it is wanted by people right across the EU.
“You can talk about what you want, but we know what you want. We know that you want to leave. We want reform not just for Britain but for the whole of the EU.”
Mr. Kamall seemed to forget that he was elected not to represent “the whole of the EU”, but by British electors, specifically those in London.
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