Financial Times FT.com

Tory decision to quit group irks business

By Jean Eaglesham in London and Joshua Chaffin in Brussels

Published: June 2 2009 23:40 | Last updated: June 2 2009 23:40

Business groups on Tuesday criticised David Cameron’s decision to pull the Conservative party out of the mainstream centre-right European parliament group after Thursday’s elections.

The EEF manufacturers’ body warned that the withdrawal of the Tories from the European People’s party to form a new non-federalist group in the European parliament could leave Britain “on the fringes of the debate” at a time when the global downturn required close co-operation across the continent.

David Cameron with Mirek Topolanek, former Czech prime minister

European allies: David Cameron, right, with Mirek Topolanek, former Czech prime minister and EU presidency leader

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