IT is truly remarkable that there are no government or constituency resolutions about Europe at this week's Conservative Party Conference. The reason is probably that both David Cameron and William Hague have made clear that the UK's membership of the EU is not a priority issue at the moment.
The sizeable number of Conservative MPs who thrive on EU opposition may therefore be inclined to turn their energy to getting rid of the European Convention on Human Rights which the Home Secretary, Theresa May, said in very clear terms on Sunday she wants to see scrapped. This Convention and its Court in Strasbourg have no formal connection to the European Union but the very word European in any institution is enough to get the blood racing in a true sceptic's veins. Does Mrs May know what she is doing?
The government's Justice Minister, Kenneth Clarke, sees no possibility of withdrawing from the Convention and at his party conference two weeks ago Nick Clegg said, to cheers, Let me be really clear about the Human Rights Act. It is here to stay. Of all the possible fault lines between the Coalition partners the Human Rights Act is the most dangerous. The Liberal Democrats could not remain in a coalition partnership trying to dump or diminish the Act. The prime minister, who probably shares Mrs May's views, knows that only too well.
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