Alexander drags Labour closer towards the Tories on Europe

You know, having read through Douglas Alexander’s Guardian article a couple of times now, and listened to his appearance on the Today programme earlier, I’m still not sure how Labour’s new stance towards Europe is particularly different from the official Tory one. The shadow foreign secretary tries to suggest that Dave and George’s position is reckless — ‘they seem worryingly complacent about the prospect of a two-speed Europe’ — but he goes on to echo much of it himself.

And so, he suggests, ‘We should engage now with the fact that Germany is seeking treaty change and seize this opportunity to safeguard the rights of non-euro members.’ And we read elsewhere in the Guardian that ‘Labour is to declare it will oppose any further transfer of power to Brussels if it damages UK growth’. The party of Opposition may differ in their tone — but differences in substance are there few. Perhaps some specifics around referendums in future, but it’s hard to tell.

What’s clear is that Labour is trying to solidify its image on Europe. Rather than talking about joining the euro, they are now more likely to boast that we didn’t join it under their government. Rather than simply waxing enthusiastic about Brussels, they are starting to peddle what Alexander calls a ‘hard-headed view of Britain’s national interests’. This shift certainly makes sense in the current environment. Pledging closer union with Europe is not going to be a vote-winner, if it ever was. But it does make differentiating between the parties a little more difficult, at least on this issue. And that — that could provoke Tory calls for Dave and George to set their party further apart, once again.

P.S. If you want to try a game of spot the difference between Alexander and the Tory leadership, then there’s this statement from George Osborne a couple of weeks ago. ‘We are insistent that our voice will continue to be heard and our national interests protected,’ says the Chancellor. And similarly, ‘we will seek to rebalance the responsibilities between the EU and its Member States, which in our view has become unbalanced.’ Alexander may be trying to weave dividing lines, but it’s all rather a blur at the moment.

UPDATE: Ah, the Telegraph’s Daniel Knowles makes similar points here. I hadn’t seen his post before publishing this one, so apologies to him for the overlap.