Michael Connarty and European Scrutiny

Considering the precipice down which the Labour government is currently tumbling, Michael Connarty, MP for Linlithgow and Falkirk East, was remarkably chipper at the Association of European Journalists’ lunch at the European Parliament office in London today, but he was there in his role as Chairman of the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee, rather than in his party political capacity. A convinced European — as well as a socialist who was against the Iraq War — Mr Connarty ruffled feathers earlier this year when he said that the Lisbon Treaty was basically the same as the European constitution that had been rejected by French and Dutch voters. Euro-sceptics, like his sparring partner (and fellow jazz aficianado) the Tory MP Bill Cash, agreed, but in Connarty’s case, it was a sort of compliment, as he believed — and still believes — that Europe needs the Lisbon Treaty, in order to be more efficient and more democratic.

Indeed, much of what he said today chimed in with Liberal Democrat policy. He was in favour of Britain joining the euro and speculated that the crisis over HBOS might have been averted within the sort of disciplined structure inherent in the eurozone. Moreover, he regrets the UK’s holding back from joining the Schengen area. ‘As you can see, I am not a Euro-sceptic,’ he said, ‘but rather a government sceptic — whichever government is in power!’