"The Conservative Party has never advocated withdrawal" (from the EU)

Oh dear, somebody is off-message. Don't they know Conservative policy on the EU is to be as vague as possible and not to let on that they're a eurofederalist party? I expect "Dave" will be having a word ...

SIR – I cannot understand Craig Heeley's assertion (Letters, September 17) that Conservatives are not debating Europe enough. He need only visit the grassroots website ConservativeHome to see that this is not the case. I am regularly assailed on it for my moderate postings about the workings of the EU by Eurosceptic Tories (and, I suspect, members of Ukip), who argue ferociously against Britain's EU membership.

Those who hope for the day that Britain withdraws from the EU are bound to say that not enough attention is paid to their point of view. But the simple fact is that the Conservative Party has never advocated withdrawal, and David Cameron shows no sign of budging on this fundamental question. On the contrary, Conservatives have just founded a new euro-realist grouping in the European Parliament based on engagement with and radical reform of the EU.

The debate about Europe, it seems, is actually alive and well in the Tory party – even if it's not going the way that the hardline withdrawalists want it to.

Dr Charles Tannock MEP (Con)
Brussels