Britain's opposition leader blasts Blair over Europe
The leader of Britain's main opposition Conservative Party on Thursday blasted Prime Minister Tony Blair on his record in Europe, calling it a "complete failure".
Blair, just back from a two-day EU summit in Brussels, retorted that his government would ensure the country stayed at the heart of the European Union.
The clash between the leaders of Britain's two main political parties comes as they prepare to face off in a general election widely expected on May 5.
The two-day spring economic summit that ended Wednesday, "encapsulated the prime minister's complete failure on Europe over the last eight years," Michael Howard said during a heated debate in the House of Commons.
He demanded to know why Britain's long-cherished rebate on its contributions to the EU budget had featured in the debates.
"Why isn't the (economic) reform agenda being given pride of place?" Howard asked.
Blair retorted that Britain's rebate -- which drew savage criticism from French President Jacques Chirac -- was not discussed at the summit.
He admitted, however, that "it was mentioned by the French president, it always is, and it gets the same response from me, which is 'no', and that is what will continue to happen," Blair said in Parliament.
Under a deal hammered out in 1984 by then prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Britain gets back three billion pounds (4.32 billion euros, 5.6 billion dollars) on its annual contribution to the EU budget.
Howard also accused Blair of surrendering to Chirac by agreeing to reword a services directive to make it more acceptable to voters before the French public holds a referendum on the EU constitution on May 29.
Blair, whose government also faced renewed criticism for its case for war in Iraq on Thursday, argued that he had given nothing away.
"There is a very clear choice, and that is between going into these debates ... and fighting Britain's corner or opting out, as the last Conservative government did, leaving Britain defenceless, leaving it near the exit door, and betraying the true national interests of Britain," he said.
