European Council

John Bercow Excerpts

Monday 21st June 2010 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Yes, I can confirm—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I do not know what the former Minister for Europe had for breakfast, but perhaps we should be on it—or, alternatively, perhaps we should not.

[The Prime Minister]

I am not going to go there; neither am I applying for some European supernumerary position and all that, but it is important that we set out clearly what we want to achieve. But I say again that we are not against members of the eurozone sorting out their own affairs. We should not stand in their way. We want a strong eurozone; we just do not want Britain to be part of it in joining the single currency, and we also do not believe that we should give it further financial support. Those are the keys that we must stick to.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. Obviously, our party did not support the Lisbon treaty or the creation of the European External Action Service. I am very keen that resources are not badly spent or badly used on the service. Not much progress has yet been made. We will work to try to ensure that the service increases nation states’ ability to project themselves in the world, and does not become an expensive bureaucracy.

[Mr Speaker]

Last but not least, I call Nadhim Zahawi.

[Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con)]

Will the Prime Minister tell the House the number of countries in Europe that have understood the difference between emergency financial help and structural change of their economy? The only party left to understand the difference is the Opposition.