Britse conservatieven beloven 'nee' tegen Euro en Europese Grondwet (en)

EUOBSERVER/BRUSSELS - The UK Conservatives have promised a referendum on the EU Constitution within six months of the general elections and a re-negotiation with Brussels on social policy and fisheries.

The Conservatives' election manifesto, unveiled on Monday (11 April), is the first from among the political parties campaigning before the general elections, scheduled for 5 May.

The manifesto criticises the Labour government for mismanaging relations with the EU "in a way which threatens not just British interests, but the capacity of the continent to adapt flexibly to the future."

If they win the elections, the Tory cabinet would seek a major reform of several EU policies, while restoring national control over British fishing grounds, or over spending in international aid.

In a referendum on the EU Constitution, for which a date would be announced one day after the elections, the Conservatives would campaign against the new Treaty, despite the fact that the UK will be chairing the European Union from 1 July.

No to euro and out of the Social chapter

The Conservatives have also ruled out further attempts to introduce the euro, as opposed to the official Labour policy which would still consider such a move if the so-called "five economic tests" prove it would be positive for the economy.

"In a reformed Europe, the restrictive employment laws of the Social Chapter will have to give way to more flexible working. We will ensure that Britain once again leads the fight for a deregulated Europe by negotiating the restoration of our opt-out from the Social Chapter," states the manifesto.

According to Alisdair Murray from the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think-tank, the Conservatives are trying to "appeal to the business community. They have a moral standing to do so as they have rejected it (the Social chapter) previously, while the Labour government adopted it afterwards."

However, what exactly would happen in reality if a Conservative government tried to re-negotiate the EU terms as suggested, remains unclear, said the analyst.

As a whole, Mr Murray does not expect EU issues to resonate significantly throughout the UK election campaign, which he predicts will instead be dominated by debates on taxes, immigration and public services.

"In some constituencies, where UKIP (the main anti-EU party) enjoys high support, the Conservatives might feel tempted to take its stronger line towards Europe. But they have different views on how far they can go - with some accepting even a UK withdrawal from the EU, but others strongly against it."

Meanwhile, opinion surveys showed a mixed picture for the competing parties, with an ICM poll putting Labour (38 per cent) five points ahead of the Conservatives (33 per cent), but a YouGov survey had both two main parties on 36 per cent, according to Reuters.