European Commission: UK Member

Lord Deben Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Warsi]

The important thing is that we make sure that we appoint a good Commissioner who does a good job in Europe. All the other factors are secondary.

[Lord Deben (Con)]

Does my noble friend accept that there are some serious matters at stake here? At the heart of the Question—which has a lot of persiflage round it, if I may say so to my noble friend—is the fact that we need somebody who will go to Brussels and do the job properly, which means doing their best for the whole of the European Community, and who will have the confidence of people throughout the country. It should not be somebody who goes to Brussels with predetermined views and an unwillingness to work with our colleagues in the European Union.

[Baroness Warsi]

My noble friend makes an important point. However, I think he would accept that at the recent European elections, not just in the United Kingdom but across the European Union, the citizens of the member states sent out a very clear signal about the kind of Europe they want, and it is important that Commissioners reflect that in their work.