A welcome 'Au Revoir' to Blair's departure from the European scene

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th May 2007

Commenting ahead of Tony Blair's expected announcement this morning to stand down as Prime Minister, Andrew Duff MEP, Leader of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party, said:

"Tony Blair's departure from the European scene, like that of Jacques Chirac, will be met with great relief. He has failed to live up to his early promise on Europe. He was undermined by Gordon Brown on the euro. He was outmanoeuvred by Germany and France on reform of the CAP. His successive Home Secretaries have blocked the sensible development of common policies in the field of justice and home affairs. The invasion of Iraq did immeasurable harm to European unity in foreign and security policy. Mr Blair's apparent commitment to building the European pillar of NATO has not been followed through.

"Worst of all, Tony Blair and his ministers have sought to blunt Europe's constitutional development into a mature transnational parliamentary democracy. They have resisted the strengthening of the EU's own fundamental rights regime. They are now seeking to renege on commitments made in the treaty Blair signed in October 2004. Once again, Britain is putting itself at the margins of mainstream, mainland European politics, and failing to exercise its influence wisely.

"The tragedy is that Blair has wanted to be a good European, but has never known how to be one."

ENDS