Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Hague in EU Referndum Debate

I caught part of Today in parliament this morning and they were playing one of Hague's questions during the EU constitution Lisbon Treaty Parliamentary debate sham. He was very funny when he described the new EU President, Tony Blair, arriving at 10 Downing Street to meet Brown. He describes Brown coveting that job as well.

Does anyone know how I can dig it out of Hansard, I've tried but all my searches miss yesterday.

Update

Many thanks to Vindico. Here is the section that I found most amusing:

The creation of that job took many years—and the present Prime Minister probably feels that it took almost as long to get round to his turn to hold it. To see how the post of a permanent President of the European Council could evolve is not difficult even for the humblest student of politics, and it is, of course, rumoured that one Tony Blair may be interested in the job. If that prospect makes us uncomfortable on the Conservative Benches, just imagine how it will be viewed in Downing street! I must warn Ministers that having tangled with Tony Blair across the Dispatch Box on hundreds of occasions, I know his mind almost as well as they do. I can tell them that when he goes off to a major political conference of a centre-right party and refers to himself as a socialist, he is on manoeuvres, and is busily building coalitions as only he can.

We can all picture the scene at a European Council sometime next year. Picture the face of our poor Prime Minister as the name "Blair" is nominated by one President and Prime Minister after another: the look of utter gloom on his face at the nauseating, glutinous praise oozing from every Head of Government, the rapid revelation of a majority view, agreed behind closed doors when he, as usual, was excluded. Never would he more regret no longer being in possession of a veto: the famous dropped jaw almost hitting the table, as he realises there is no option but to join in. And then the awful moment when the motorcade of the President of Europe sweeps into Downing street. The gritted teeth and bitten nails: the Prime Minister emerges from his door with a smile of intolerable anguish; the choking sensation as the words, "Mr President", are forced from his mouth. And then, once in the Cabinet room, the melodrama of, "When will you hand over to me?" all over again.

methinks the Tories are going to regret not having Hague as their leader, he is by far the best debater the have and we would tear Brown apart in PMQ's.

1 comment:

Vindico said...

It's about half way down the page here http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-01-21a.1239.1&s=hague#g1311.0