Andrew Mitchell has just been interviewed on The Sunday Politics, where he notably refused to deny reports that David Cameron has offered him the chance become the UK’s next EU Commissioner in 2014. Whilst quipping that he wasn’t going to do his “career planning” live on air, the former chief whip all but confirmed that he had discussed taking up the £250,000-a-year post with Cameron.
“I do see the Prime Minister from time to time but as I say, I’m not going to conduct my career planning today”.
He added: “There’s a very important job to be done in Europe to make sure that Europe changes in the interests of everyone in Europe but also in the interests of Britain, I don’t deny that. But as I say, my central interest at the moment is to support my party in any way I can and to look after my constituents in Sutton Coldfield.“
The offer was reportedly made by Cameron at a Chequers lunch for Mitchell last Sunday, a signal of the former chief whip’s political rehabilitation. There is a strong feeling among Conservative MPs that Mitchell deserves to be compensated for his enforced resignation over “plebgate” after video evidence appeared to confirm his version of events. Initially it was assumed that this would take the form of a return to the cabinet but Mitchell is now viewed as the ideal candidate to replace Baroness Ashton as the UK’s EU Commissioner when she finishes her term as EU foreign policy chief next year. One source tells the Mail on Sunday: “The PM believes Andrew is ideal for the job. He won considerable respect worldwide for his negotiating skills as Secretary of State for International Development, he knows about finance through his banking background, and his record in the Whips Office shows he is not scared to bash heads to get a result.”
In an overt display of his interest in the position, Mitchell recently penned an article for the FT (“Europe needs Cameron’s tough love”), supporting Cameron’s proposed renegotiation of Britain’s EU membership and floating proposals including a joint sitting of the UK and Polish parliaments and a joint UK-Dutch cabinet meeting.
Were Mitchell to take up the post, he would be required to resign as an MP, triggering a by-election in his Sutton Coldfield constituency. The Tories currently have a majority of 17,005 (33.6) per cent in the constituency, making it one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. But as Mike Smithson suggests, UKIP, which has a good chance of winning that year’s EU elections, will hope to mount a strong challenge if the seat does indeed fall vacant.
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