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Article: Europhile defects from Tories to Lib-Dems
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- November 18, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1997 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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One of the Conservative Party's original Thatcherites, Lord
Thomas of Swynnerton, defected to the Liberal Democrats yesterday.
As Hugh Thomas, the latest Tory scalp in Paddy Ashdown's belt
was chairman of the right-wing Centre for Policy Studies from
1979-1990 - the entire period of Margaret Thatcher's period in
office.
But in spite of Baroness Thatcher's remarkable track record as a
basher of the European Community, Lord Thomas said yesterday that
he had switched parties because Conservative "attitudes towards the
European Union as it is presently constituted, and as it is likely
to develop, have become ever more critical and sceptical.