Steve Norris: 'Let's Get Out of the EU'

Steven Norris tonight backed Britain formally withdrawing from Europe. The former Government minister and mayoral candidate told me on 18 Doughty Street’s Live at Nine programme that Britain “just doesn’t belong in the same institutions” as other European countries.

Norris had said earlier in the programme that he would back the Conservative under David Cameron if they made a decision to withdraw from the EU. He also signalled his intention to stand against Ken Livingstone for a third time in the 2008 London Mayoral Elections.

On Europe, Norris said...
“The institution of the European Union which I think is corrupted and corrupting and largely redundant…if it were put to me that it were practicable the intention of Cameron’s Conservative party to withdraw ourselves formally from the European Union that wouldn’t cause me a single moment’s distress.

‘I would say…we have a completely different tradition in terms of democracy, in terms of institutions, in terms of economy, in terms of our use of English language, our transatlantic connections…We just don’t belong in the same institutions…We want a relationship that is constructive in Europe and will continue to be, you need us, we need you, but what we don’t need is the institution of the European Union of which I’m profoundly suspicious.

Most of the interview was spent on the London mayoral race and transport issues. Watch the programme and you won't be left in any doubt that Steve will run for the Tory nomination and a good thing too. He told me he would scrap the congestion charge zone altogether, scrap bendy buses, reinstate Routemaster buses, tax company car parking spaces, ban goods vehicles from the streets at peak times and much more besides. It really is worth listening to. His enthusiasm is infectious. He finishes by saying: "If I run, I'll win".

The hour long programme can be seen in full HERE.

Your Questions for Steve Norris Please...

I'll be interviewing Steve Norris for an hour from 9pm tonight on 18 Doughty Street. Join us live in the programme on MSN studio@18doughtystreet.com or email the same address. Or you can leave your questions on this thread and I'll put them to Steve.

Nicholas Boles Steps Down from Policy Exchange

Anthony Browne, Chief Political Correspondent of The Times, will take over from Nicholas Boles as the Chief Executive of Policy Exchange. Nicholas is leaving the award-winning Think Tank to concentrate on his bid to be Mayor of London. He's now gone from 'listening' to 'running'. He's a very credible candidate and I wish him well. Talking of the mayoral race, I'll be interviewing Steve Norris tonight on 18 Doughty Street at 9pm.

Anthony Browne was the Brussels Correspondent before he moved to Westminster and will be a considerable loss to the paper. I understand that he used to be a Labour supporter, then joined the Conservatives but isn't attached to any political party at the moment.

I became a Trustee of Policy Exchange when it was formed in 2001. I've been delighted to see it grow to become one of the most influential think tanks in the country. Its expansion has been largely drive by one man, Nicholas Boles. He's exactly the kind of inspirational leader who commands loyalty from his colleagues and staff without ever having to ask for it. He's someone I'm delighted to call a friend.

Footnote: It seems the right time for me also to step down as a Trustee. I'm sure it will come as a great disappointment to all the conspiracy theorists out there, but I haven't actually been able to attend a single Policy Exchange Trustees meeting for eighteen months due to diary clashes. I think it is now a good time for Policy Exchange to appoint someone as a Trustee who will be able to commit more time than I have been able to recently.

UPDATE: Message to the anonymous trolls who are spouting their usual guff about Policy Exchange. Save yourselves the trouble. If you can't be bothered to identify yourselves, your comments won't be posted. And that goes for anonymous posters in general. If all you want to do is slag people off, go and do it elsewhere.