BRUSSELS -- All the focus groups in Britain demonstrate that people do not care about Europe. Or at least they certainly don't treat it as a priority. The economy, health and education, as well as quality of life and security issues, con- sistently rate higher. Yet David Cameron's Tories are still falling into the trap of talking about Europe long before expanding on their other policies.
During the leadership election, Cameron barely mentioned policy except to reassure rightwing Euroskeptics that under his leadership the Conservative Party would finally withdraw from the largest political group in the European Parliament, the center-right pro-European Christian Democrats, and become central to the formation of a new rightwing Euroskeptic grouping.
Since his election, he has not only renewed this ridiculous withdrawal pledge but sent a downbeat of Euro-phobic messages to the ears of the party's rightwing, the media and those activists whose extreme views stem too often from lightly hidden racism and xenophobia.