The Tories are facing a major backlash from European leaders after David Cameron was accused by a leading French minister of "castrating" Britain's influence in Brussels. Skip related content
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Tories risk 'castrating' UK influence in Europe
The Conservative leader promised to try to claim back powers from the European Union after ditching his pledge to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
He also vowed to change the law so that no further powers could be lost to the EU without a UK referendum.
But his positioning drew charges that he was pandering to the strongly eurosceptic wing of his party and provoked angry criticism from a member of France's centre-right government.
Pierre Lellouche, the French minister for Europe, said: "It's pathetic. It's just very sad to see Britain, so important in Europe, just cutting itself out from the rest and disappearing from the radar map."
Mr Lellouche said the Tories had a "bizarre autism" on the EU and likened their latest moves to their withdrawal from the main centre-right grouping in the European Parliament.
Tributes have been paid to a schoolgirl who died after slipping in her high heels and falling under a train while waving goodbye to her friends.
