Inability to find consensus 'bodes ill for Europe' - says Watson

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th Oct 2005

Commenting on the outcome of the Hampton Court summit, European Parliament Liberal Democrat leader Graham Watson said:

"This summit was never going to produce concrete results. Yet getting the atmospherics right for progress in December was essential. Liberals and Democrats hoped too for consensus on economic and social reform. The failure of our member states to find that consensus bodes ill for Europe.

"Mr Barroso's claim that the summit was marked by 'substantial discussions with concrete results' seems thin indeed. If consensus still evades our national leaders, how can this be 'the right political context for a deal on the budget' and make the Commission President 'more optimistic' of a deal in December? Mr Blair seemed much less confident of a deal when he pointed out 'it will be easier to get the budget right once the [EU's] priorities are established.'

Council President Tony Blair says the result of the discussion is that 'the EU needs to do things better'. How long will it be before our Prime Ministers stop the charade of pretence and admit that they are the EU?"