How Labour can use Europe to stop the Tories

One of the first tasks of a party in our time of fragmented politics is to stop their opponents making alliances. As things stand, the Tories can form a coalition with Ukip (and it tells you all you need to know about David Cameron that he would even consider such a possibility) the Democratic Unionists and the Liberal Democrats. As the Lib Dems are likely to form the largest block, they are the most important target for Labour.

You only have to listen to Nick Clegg, say, or Danny Alexander, to suspect that they would rather keep the coalition with Cameron. Why shouldn’t they? They’ve worked together for five years. Like a partner in a stale marriage, they will stick with what they know, however often they dream about divorce. Yet the Liberals are also a pro-European party. In private, many MPs are in agony at the thought that they may look back in 2020 and realise that their most momentous act in government was to allow Britain to leave the European Union.