The Queen is cold on Turkey's bid to join the EU

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ers-lover.html

The Queen is cold on Turkey's bid to join the European Union, claims Labour minister's lover

The Queen said Turkey should be kept out of the European Union for a 'long time’, according to the girlfriend of Denis MacShane, the Labour Europe minister.

The Queen is accused of making an 'unconsititutional' comment.

Throughout her 59 years on the throne, the Queen’s political views have remained strictly between her and her ministers. Now, though, a Labour minister’s former girlfriend has made public what she claims is the monarch’s opinion of the expansion of the European Union. “I was present when the Queen made a comment that was both reactionary and unconstitutional,” alleges Joan Smith, an author and broadcaster, who split up with Denis MacShane, a former Europe minister, last year.

“It was at a Christmas party at Buckingham Palace. It was mostly MPs and ex-ministers.” Smith, who refused to make a curtsy for the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh, tells Mandrake: “Before the Queen came in, a small group of us were asked to stand in the corner and wait to be introduced. I smiled and said 'hello’ and she looked at me with almost disbelief and passed on to the next person. It was a nice Conservative MP and his wife, who, he said, was Turkish. She immediately said: 'Philip and I have been on a state visit to Turkey.'

“The woman was very polite and said how pleased people were that she had visited. Then, the Queen turned to another person in the group and said: 'The EU is getting awfully big with 28 countries.’ They said that, actually, it was 27, 'but we are hoping Turkey will come in soon’, to which the Queen said, 'Oh, we don’t want Turkey to come in for a long time.’ “I thought it was very rude. The myth is that she is above politics, so it is interesting that she would express political views like that."

Politicians from all three major political parties have argued for Turkey’s accession to the EU. The country, which has a mainly Muslim population of 78 million, applied to join in 1987 and has been an associate member of the organisation and its predecessors since 1963. Turkey was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership in1999, but its bid is highly controversial because some European countries fear that the nature of the EU would change if it admitted a largely Muslim country. Buckingham Palace declines to comment, but a courtier tells me: “While it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Her Majesty made such a comment, it may have been taken out of context. “The Queen has a good relationship with Turkey and Miss Smith is, I believe, a prominent republican."

Whether or not this story is true remains to be seen, but if so - it reassuring to know that she differs from Mr Cameron, Miliband and Clegg on the issue of Turkey coming into the EU which is something that would give free movement (and ultimately access to our health services and welfare free of charge as is the case with Eastern European countries) to 70m+ people from Turkey, many of whom are poor just as they are in Eastern Europe and would flock here, naturally, for a better lifestyle to the detriment of ourselves.

In a related topic, on the 1st of May hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans will be allowed full access to our benefits system and there's not a thing our government can do about it - not that the Conservatives, Labour or the Liberal Democrats want to do anything about it in the first place.

Should Turkey be allowed to join the EU? should we even be in it?

[FlyingJesus]

Brilliant title lol

Anyway some random republican journalist spreading a story about how terrible the Queen is isn't really gonna hold any weight with anyone except other people who like complaining about the royals. It's not an unconstitutional comment anyway, I'm fairly sure there's nothing in British law that says that the head of state can't express an opinion

[Jordy]

"The EU is getting awfully big with 28 countries." - The whole article is a complete joke from some nobody, that comment is so stereotypical it could only come from some sort of satirist.

Didn't the Queen controversially recommend Turkey should join the EU whilst in Turkey a few years back (One of the few moments she has intervened in politics)?
Found it... http://euobserver.com/9/26132

[-:Undertaker:-]

"The EU is getting awfully big with 28 countries." - The whole article is a complete joke from some nobody, that comment is so stereotypical it could only come from some sort of satirist.

Didn't the Queen controversially recommend Turkey should join the EU whilst in Turkey a few years back (One of the few moments she has intervened in politics)?
Found it... http://euobserver.com/9/26132

Depends whether she's on offical duty or not, oh to be a fly on the wall.

[beth]

to me, turkey will never be a part of the e.u. it just doesn't seem right in my head ha.

[Jordy]

to me, turkey will never be a part of the e.u. it just doesn't seem right in my head ha.

and the rest of the EU does?

It's time will probably come in a decade or so.

[beth]

and the rest of the EU does?

It's time will probably come in a decade or so.

yeh mainly. there's a couple of exceptions to that rule, but turkey to me is just not e.u.

[GommeInc]

I'm amazed the EU is still wanting other countries to join. I was getting ready to see some pull out, or at least wait a few centuries to go by until any debt problems are solved - assuming there are any debt problems I am still yet to see how much money they actually rake in and own.

[Moh]

Wonder what'll happen to Joan Smith? If it's "strictly between her and the ministers" then surely she could get in trouble?

Don't Turkey have a pretty steady economy? So if they did join the EU, they should be adding to the EU unlike Poland sponging nearly 4 times as much as they put in.

Imo, in with Turkey, out with Poland

[GommeInc]

Wonder what'll happen to Joan Smith? If it's "strictly between her and the ministers" then surely she could get in trouble?

Don't Turkey have a pretty steady economy? So if they did join the EU, they should be adding to the EU unlike Poland sponging nearly 4 times as much as they put in.

Imo, in with Turkey, out with Poland

I think I remember hearing the issue with having Turkey in the EU was mainly to do with Human Rights. I can't remember if Turkey had any financial issues or whether or not it was just Greece in that area with the issue.. Goodness knows why Turkey want to join the EU though, if they're financially stable they do not need to be involved with the organisation.