Denis MacShane: Gutter Politics

Published on August 7, 2004 By Roger Sanchez In Politics

Denis MacShane the Europe [EU] Minister was out "making the case for Europe" to the people this week in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. He said that Eurosceptics were giving "overt encouragement" to xenophobia which is apparently damaging Britains interests. He also said that we have a "dark streak of xenophobia and racism in our mentality " and "anti europeanism [saying that the EU may be bad for Britain] allows it to get a lot closer to the surface". He said that he wasn`t opposed to rational sceptism towards Brussels but that Eurosceptics aren't rational but have a "hatred of Europe". He also calls the Daily Mail "xenophobic and isolationist" which is perhaps why the Telegraph treated him so well. He also says there our a great many myths about Europe and his job is to "explain the facts".

Well Penis, sorry Denis has made a fine play at gutter politics here. Throughout the whole article he makes not one point as to why the EU is good for Britain. He divulges not one myth about the EU. He gives not one shred of evidence as to how Eurosceptics are all racists or how there encouraging racism. Except that he makes the connection between anti-EU sentiment and insulting chants by football fans at enemy nations fans. He says there is a direct link between them.

This is all from the man whose best case for the EU was: look around you who cleans the streets, waits on you at lunch and serves you in the shops. If a lot of them are Europeans then we should join an undemocrtic superstate! He also critised Micheal Howard saying that because his parents were foriegn, hes foriegn and should be pro EU or words to that affect.

Of course Denis then goes on to play up his pro- British credentials as if that has any relavance to that issue. He thinks it does as he trys to make out that all opposition is down to "narrow minded nationalism".

I`d like to see what "pro europeans" have to say about this. I think its typical of their behaviour. Always trying to trivialise the arguement. Denis MacShane is just playing gutter politics the lowest of the low.

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