The Conservatives pledged on Wednesday to seek the return of some powers from the European Union to Britain if they win an election expected next year, but said they did not aim to sabotage the bloc. Skip related content
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Leader David Cameron unveiled the party's new stance on Europe after admitting that Czech President Vaclav Klaus's signing of the Lisbon treaty on Tuesday had sunk their hopes of holding a referendum on the document.
That has angered some on the Eurosceptic right of Cameron's party, who note Cameron promised to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty and must stick to it.
Cameron faces a delicate balancing act -- keeping the Eurosceptics happy while avoiding a damaging conflict with other European countries if, as expected, the Conservatives win an election due by next June.
"What I am promising today is doable, credible, deliverable," Cameron said in a speech.
He said that if he became prime minister, his government would be an active member of the 27-nation EU.
"My purpose...is not to frustrate or to sabotage the operation of the European Union," he said.
The party would seek to negotiate the return of Britain's opt-out in some areas of EU social and employment legislation, a return of powers in the area of criminal justice, and a "complete opt-out" from the EU's charter of fundamental rights, Cameron said.
Cameron said the Conservatives would not "rush into some massive Euro bust-up."
"We will take our time, negotiate firmly, patiently and respectfully and aim to achieve the return of the powers I have set out over the lifetime of a parliament," Cameron said.
A parliament lasts four or five years.
The Conservatives will seek to amend the law so that any future transfer of power to the EU would have to be submitted to a referendum in Britain, he said.
The Conservatives would also introduce a new law to make it clear that ultimate authority lay with the British parliament, rather than Brussels.
If a Conservative government came to power seeking to negotiate the return of powers to Britain, it could anger other European allies exhausted by years of argument over the Lisbon treaty.
Cameron said the Conservatives would want a tough financial settlement in forthcoming negotiations on the EU budget, "ensuring that Britain does not pay more than its fair share."
"We will pay particular attention to the area of financial regulation, where we will be vigilant and tenacious in defending the competitiveness of the City of London," he said.
(Writing by Adrian Croft; Editing by Keith Weir)
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