DAVID CAMERON’S plan to remove Tory MEPs from the main centre-Right grouping in the European Parliament will cause “signficant damage” to British business, the Conservative leader has been told.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has written to William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, warning him that Tory MEPs would lose their influence in Brussels if they leave the European People’s Party group.
The Tories are trying to rebuild ties with the City and industry, and the decision by the BCC to criticise Mr Cameron’s judgment openly is expected to cause alarm in the party.
The letter, seen by The Times, urges Mr Hague to reconsider. All the main centre-Right parties in the EU are members of the EPP, including the CDU, which forms the Government in Germany. “Mr Cameron’s commitment to withdraw the British Conservative MEPs . . . could do significant damage to British business interests,” David Frost, the director-general, wrote.
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