Jose Barroso: UKIP will beat Tories to become 'first force' in British politics

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-politics.html

José Manuel Barroso: Ukip will beat Tories to become 'first force' in British politics

Ukip will become "the first force in British elections" because voters will prefer the real Euroscepticism of Nigel Farage to the copycat Conservative imitation of it, the European Commission president has said.

European Commission President Barroso addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg

Using provocative language, José Manuel Barroso, the head of the European Union's executive, strongly implied that David Cameron's Euroscepticism is fake while Ukip's is the genuine article.

"Your party is looking like Ukip. I have some doubts whether you are going to be elected in Britain or if it is not Ukip that will be the first force in British elections," he told MEPs

"Because when it comes to be against Europe people prefer the original to the copy. That is probably why they are going to vote for Mr Farage. I don't say this with any kind of satisfaction because although we have our differences we have worked together in many areas with the Conservatives."

Mr Barroso and other senior Brussels officials have been dismayed by the Prime Minister's promise to give Britons a referendum on Europe and to repatriate powers from Brussels, pledges that are seen as putting Britain on an exit track from the EU.

The comments were made after a Tory MEP, Martin Callanan the leader of the European Conservative group in the EU assmbly, used a parliamentary debate to accuse the commission of representing the "vested interests of the European District in Brussels not the people of Europe".

"It's a bit rich for an unelected head of the European Commission to give electoral advice. But I suppose that is typical of him," Mr Callanan replied.

In a rare outbreak of unity, Mr Farage, the leader of Ukip, agreed with the commission president.

"Mr Barroso is right to say that the only real EU debate is whether the UK leaves or stays in the EU, and not the unrealistic promises by David Cameron," he said.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "Rather than trying to second guess where the British electorate might come out, the right thing to do is to focus on the need for fundamental change to a more flexible, adaptable and open European Union."

A Conservative spokesman added: "We disagree strongly with the President of the Commission. As the PM has said, support for Britain's EU membership is wafer thin.

"The EU needs fundamental change. This underlines why we need a strong result at next year's European elections for David Cameron and the Conservatives - to show Britain's absolute determination to back the PM's plan to reform the EU and give people a referendum on our membership. If UKIP do well Brussels will ignore the outcome. UKIP are all talk when it comes to the EU. Only Conservatives will deliver change and a referendum."

During a speech to the European parliament, Mr Barroso also accused critics of the EU "who want to roll back our integration" of threatening to take Europe back to the divisions that led to the trenches and slaughter of the First World War.

I agree with Barroso entirely regarding the Tories.

Out of interest, who are you considering voting for come May 2014 in the European Elections? I would do a poll but it's not nearly near enough the time yet so wondering what people are thinking atm - last time (2009) the Tories came first, UKIP second, Labour third and LDems fourth.