LETTERS Sceptical about Europhiles
From Sir Stephen Hastings Sir: What a pity that John Major followed his admirable analysis of the weaknesses and dangers of New Labour with such con- fused advice to William Hague (`You can't win on the right, William', 1 January).
Most of what he recommends as Conser- vative policy is neither exceptionable nor new, although his support for the govern- ment over General Pinochet has surely lit- tle to do with the British interest.
The confusion arises over his use of termi- nology. What he writes indicates that he has swallowed Alastair Campbell's long-running Goebbels-like assertion that the Tory party has 'lurched to the right'. He pins the blame for this on what he calls 'Tory servants of ide- ology', and he extols the pragmatic approach as the true Conservative alternative.
Of course his disagreement with Mr Hague turns on the European question as it does for Messrs Heseltine and Clarke. 'Ide- ologues' and 'extremists' are the terms used to describe those of us who are concerned about what is happening in Europe.
Now the Oxford English Dictionary defines ideology as 'the system of ideas as the basis of an economic or political theory' and, alternatively, as 'visionary speculation'. It seems to me that neither of these defini- tions remotely describes the Eurosceptic position. Both, on the other hand, apply precisely to that of the Europhile.
Blair and his Conservative adherents, among whom, at least to some degree, we must now sadly include John Major, are attempting, as many propagandists have before them, to persuade simply by turning the meaning of language on its head.
By no stretch of the imagination can the Eurosceptic be described as captive to any ideology. Every Europhile is inevitably indulging in 'visionary speculation', and that has more in common with the punter on the racecourse than it does with pragmatism.
Is it extreme to question whether our long-evolved traditions and security should be sacrificed? It is not. It is what John Major says he wants — 'thinking scepticism'.
Stephen Hastings
Wansford, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
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