Mark Francois

Grassroots satisfaction with Cameron dips to 80%

ConservativeHome's ToryDiary (Free subscription) | 29/11/2009

In the final ConHome survey of grassroots opinion on this side of the General Election we find that satisfaction with David Cameron among grassroots Tory members has dipped. Last month 92% of members were satisfied with the Tory leader's performance. This month that number has dipped to 80%: [82% of Tory members were satisfied with David Cameron in January 2006, after he first became leader]. My guess...

Tories ignore Ukip's offer to disband

The Observer (Free subscription) | 28/11/2009

The new leader of the UK Independence party has said he attempted to broker a deal to disband his Eurosceptic party if David Cameron, the Conservative leader, agreed to a referendum on the ratified Lisbon treaty. Lord Pearson said he made the approach with the consent of Ukip's then leader, Nigel Farage, after the party beat Labour into third place in the European elections in June. In an interview...

A deal rejected

EU Referendum (Free subscription) | 28/11/2009

There seemed to be more to David Cameron's refusal to hold an EU referendum than just a decision based on a careful assessment of the options. His petulant style and manner suggested something more deep-seated. And now we learn from Lord Pearson that that was indeed the case, as he reveals to The Times that he personally offered the supposi-tories a deal that would have UKIP standing down at the general...

That Referendum

John Moss's Blog (Free subscription) | 25/11/2009

Unlike Jack Straw, who famously castrated the UK by stating that he saw no circumstances under which we would undertake military action against Iran, I am not in favour of taking options off the table. I feel the same about, "That Referendum". Let's be clear, I am 100% behind David Cameron's stance over repatriating powers from the EU and I am sure that the mechanism of tacking opt-outs on...

The Boy at large

EU Referendum (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

David Cameron will promise an incoming Conservative administration would set up a new constitutional court to protect British sovereignty from encroachment from Europe. This is according to The Times , which is retailing details of the Boy's briefing to Tory MPs this morning. He told them that an incoming Conservative administration would immediately seek to pass a Sovereignty Act which would set up...

Why the core Eurosceptics don't trust Hague

Next Left (Free subscription) | 04/11/2009

Just as the former Home Secretary David Davis argues that the Tory party should make a referendum on Europe its first act if elected , there is an interesting poll on ConservativeHome , showing that David Davis - followed by John Redwood or Michael Howard - would be most trusted by the Tory grassroots to lead a renegotiation of Britian's position in Europe. Why? Surely it is because Davis is widely...

Patriots for Blair!

Horgan (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009

Shadow Europe Minister Mark Francois was on Newsnight earlier this week debating the possibility of Tony Blair becoming European President with his Labour opposite number. During the interchange we were informed by the Labour chap that supporting Tony Blair was a patriotic duty, and this theme has been echoed by Labour blogger Luke Akehurst : I'd go so far as to suggest it is unpatriotic to try to...

Chris Bryant all a Twitter over new role

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 13/10/2009

The 378 followers of Chris Bryant on Twitter will have known at breakfast yesterday that the junior minister was to become Europe minister in what must surely be the first such announcement of the acceptance of an office of state. Tweeting "off to work with a new job" at 7am yesterday, the former minister for Africa bounced Downing Street into confirming the position. In a mini Foreign Office...

• Gay MP Chris Bryant promoted to Europe minister - PinkNews.co.uk

David Cameron on poverty

Horgan (Free subscription) | 10/10/2009

David Cameron is not a rhetorical speaker. He does not reach the verbal heights of a Barack Obama or of my old friend Mark Francois. He doesn't communicate the raw emotion of a John Prescott. However, he doesn't take the route of purely logical argument either. This is best exemplified by Gordon Brown, whose speeches are like being sprayed with information to a point that you start to lose the will...

Jewish leaders ask Tories for proof

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 09/10/2009

Party is urged to give details of checks carried out on Polish and Latvian politicians accused of antisemitism Jewish leaders have told senior Conservatives to prove that the party vetted its new rightwing allies in Europe before it joined forces in the EU parliament with Polish and Latvian politicians accused of antisemitism. Mark Francois, the shadow Europe minister, held an emergency meeting yesterday...

(Slightly late) report from Wednesday at conference

Tory Outcast (Free subscription) | 08/10/2009

Still nursing a hangover from the close of the Freedom zone drinks I managed to drag myself to an Open Europe debate at 7.30am yesterday. However I was rewarded for this effort by a fantastic event. I am always sceptical of “hangover cures” but bacon sandwiches, black coffee and Dan Hannan first thing in the morning is probably one of the best. He was as ever on sparkling form and I feel...

Tory Lisbon line not going down well with the public

Mark Reckons (Free subscription) | 05/10/2009

On the way into work I caught the end of a discussion about the Conservative position on the Lisbon treaty on Victoria Derbyshire's 5 Live show. It seemed that Mark Francois was doing his best to communicate the party line on the issue but the audience of 200 invited members of the public seemed to be getting more and more exasperated with him. I heard several comments from audience members along the...

Row escalates over 'vile' Conservative allies

The Observer (Free subscription) | 03/10/2009

Controversial rightwing MEPs denounced by foreign secretary will attend Conservative party conference Two prominent east European allies of the Tories at the centre of a bitter row over their far-right links will be attending the Conservatives' annual conference in Manchester next week. David Miliband, the foreign secretary, last week accused Michal Kaminski, the rightwing Polish leader of the Conservatives'...

Dave The Ditherer Has To Make A Decision

Graham Pointer's Blog (Free subscription) | 07/09/2009

On 2 October, the Irish Republic holds its referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. The official Conservative stance, as has been outlined by Leader of the Opposition David Cameron and Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, has been that they will not let matters rest if the Treaty has been ratified by all European Union member states by the time the Conservatives enter Government. But what does that mean?...

A report in today's Sunday Telegraph, by...

Bloggers4UKIP (Free subscription) | 06/09/2009

A report in today's Sunday Telegraph, by Melissa Kite, suggests that the Conservative Party have a small headache developing."Party chiefs are struggling to prepare alternative policy blueprints to unveil to grassroots activists, as the mood in Ireland suggests the vote on October 2 could go either way."What a surprise - not, that we then have Mark Francois repeating that well-worn line:"But...