Hague is Right: EU Threatens US-UK Special Relationship

Sally McNamara / May 28, 2009

In a recent, high-profile article, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband stated that the Conservative Party’s European policy, which advocates Britain’s sovereignty and independence as a nation-state, threatens the US-UK Special Relationship. He argued that President Obama’s unfettered enthusiasm for further EU integration means that Britain should relinquish its foreign policy to the unelected and unaccountable European Commission, in order to retain its influence with Washington. Now, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, has hit back in spectacular fashion. He has blown apart the two biggest myths perpetuated by EU-integrationists, namely that (1) Britain has meaningfully shaped EU policy; or (2) the Anglo-American Special Relationship can thrive via the EU.

Mr. Hague states bluntly: “For more than a decade we have had a British government whose idea of being in Europe’s mainstream meant following in others’ slipstream. The results have been meagre.” He is right. (more…)