Rumours are swirling at this Labour conference that the party leadership is considering offering a referendum on Britain’s relationship with the European Union. If the party did do as Jon Cruddas hinted it should over the weekend in the Telegraph, we at least know how Douglas Alexander would campaign. The shadow foreign secretary told an Open Europe fringe last night that staying in would be in Britain’s interest:
‘We are struggling to sense any growth as it is, and shrinking our market from 500 million to 60 million would not to help. We should be working in the nation’s interest to return to growth.’
Alexander also made clear his regret over the way British politicians have handled Europe. He said:
‘I think it’s a genuine pity that our country has so frequently dealt itself out of the game in the last few years, when we could have been a genuine force for good.
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