Andrew Duff attacks Tory Chaos on Euro-Referendum

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Sep 2004

Speaking to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth on Monday 20 September, constitutional affairs spokesman Andrew Duff MEP will outline a strategy for winning the referendum on the EU Constitution.

Duff will say that Britain is the least prepared of all member states to fight the referendum. He will accuse the Labour government of being confused about how to campaign for a Yes vote, and will argue that the only way to convince a sceptical British public of the merits of the Constitution is to tell the truth.

He will say: "We must not exaggerate the arguments for the Constitution, or be insensitive to some people's serious misgivings about national identity. But nor should we dissemble about the fact that the Constitution means a stronger European Union. Indeed, its main attraction is that it will enhance Europe's capacity to act effectively at home and abroad."

Turning to the Conservatives, Duff will criticise Michael Howard's concept of "a pick and choose Europe, a Europe of opts outs and cop outs, a self-assembly kit Europe - in short, an even more chaotic Europe than that threatened by having to live with the Treaty of Nice should the constitutional project fail".

Andrew Duff, who led the European Liberal Democrats in the Convention, will point up the isolation of the Tory Party:

"Every member of the European Council, the whole Commission and a very large majority of MEPs support the Constitution as the best way forward for Europe. No other mainstream political party of the centre right in the whole of Europe is against the Constitution."

He will add: "In the referendum campaign we Liberal Democrats will fight for our vision of a progressive Britain as a modern European place. The referendum cannot be won without the government, but nor can Labour win it without us. The Yes campaign badly needs our vision, our self-confidence as Britain's European party, our networks in civil society, and our troops on the streets. This conference should now decide to put Liberal Democrats in the vanguard of that Yes campaign."

ENDS/…