Confessions of a Eurosceptic

Few are better placed to write on the United Kingdom's relations with the European Union than David Heathcoat-Amory. As a Member of Parliament, Minister of State and Privy Counselor, he witnessed two Prime Ministers wrestling with the 'elephant in the room'. He describes Margaret Thatcher's struggles against EU control and the clashes with cabinet colleagues which split the Conservative Party and brought her down. Under John Major, in the Whips' Office, the Treasury and Minister for Europe in the FCO, he played a pivotal role in the parliamentary battles over the Maastricht Treaty and events which kept Britain out of the Euro but created the devastating Eurozone crisis of today. He resigned as Paymaster General in 1996. In Opposition, Heathcoat-Amory was sent by the House of Commons to negotiate a Constitution for Europe, which he opposed with a small group of dissidents from other EU countries. As they predicted, the European Constitution was decisively rejected in referendums in France and Holland but forced through anyway, with Blair's Government refusing a referendum at home. The book includes his blueprint for a radically new relationship between Britain and the EU, based on the principles of democracy, internationalism and free trade. With leadership and ambition, the Author argues that this is now attainable with the final decision resting with the people in a referendum. In Confessions of a Eurosceptic, the Author, whose initial enthusiasm for the Common Market turned to hostility, gives an informed insider's candid take on the most important political issue of our generation.

Few are better placed to write on Britain's relations with the European Union than David Heathcoat-Amory. In describing his own journey from initial enthusiam for a Common Market to rejection of the EU, he gives an insider's view of the delusions and deceits which surround the European question. As a Member of Parliament, Minister of State and Privy Councillor, he witnessed two prime Ministers wresting with the 'elephant in the room'. He describes Margaret Thatcher's struggles against EU control and the clashes with cabinet colleagues which split the Conservative Party and brought her down. Under John Major, David Heathcoat- Amory played a pivotal role in the parliamentary battles over the Maastricht Treaty. As Minister of State for Europe he was intimately involved in keeping Britain out of the euro, thereby avoiding the worst of the current devasting financial crisis. He resigned as Paymaster General in 1996 on a matter of principle.In Opposition, he was sent by the House of Commons to negotiate a Constitution for Europe, which he opposed with a small group of dissidents from other EU countries. As they predicted, the European Constitution was decisively rejected in referendums in France and Holland but was forced through anyway, with Blair's government refusing a referendum at home.The book includes a blueprint for a radically new relationship between Britain and the EU. The Author argues that, with leadership and ambition, this is now attainable, with the final decision resting with the people in a referendum.