The EPP and all that

In a press release earlier this week the president of the EPP finally admitted failure in its attempts to retain the UK Conservative Party in membership (and also the Czech ODS).

The press release committed the EPP to going back to its roots and its priorities.

These roots and priorities, from thir Warsaw manifesto, committed the EPP to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and to maintaining the EU's economy and market systems. There was a rejection of the ideas of market fundamentalists, that is the philosophy and application of markets not constrained by political and especially EU political ambition. For 17 years the Conservative Group has been part of a grouping which has views quite antithetical to those of most conservatives. It is no surprise that Cameron and most of the MEPs have been looking elsewhere.

If Conservatives succeed in forming a more sympathetic group, then the first meeting should be round about the middle of July.