Hague says he’s been held back on Europe by the Lib Dems

William Hague’s comments in an interview with The Times that the Liberal Democrats are restraining the Tories on Europe will increase the grumbling among Tory backbenchers about the power of the junior coalition partner. Hague tells the paper that ‘A point of difference in our manifesto was the aim to repatriate some powers. Clearly that’s something I’m in favour of, but that’s the area we had to compromise on in return for other compromises.’ (In many ways this is a statement of the obvious. But in the current uncertain European environment, his remarks are news).

In an attempt to reassure euro-sceptics, Foreign Secretary stresses that the Conservative party ‘would like to see powers returned from the EU to the United Kingdom.’ The problem with Hague’s position, though, is that the best chance Britain is likely to have to repatriate powers will probably take place within this parliament, while the Tories are in coalition with the Liberal Democrats.