Hague promises 'tough' approach to Europe

The Conservatives will adopt a "tough" line on Europe, the shadow foreign secretary has said.

But speaking on Sunday, William Hague also said the party would not focus on European issues to the exclusion of other areas such as health and education.

And he told BBC1's Sunday AM programme that the Conservatives would not back any moves to take Britain out of the EU.

"We have a tough line on Europe alright, but if people mean, when they criticise us on it, that we should be going on every day about these policies to the exclusion of the health service and climate change and schools, then I say no to that," he said.

"And if they say we should be saying get out of Europe altogether, then at a time when we have just welcomed the countries of eastern Europe in, I say no.

"We are not going to change. We are not going to tack to UKIP in any way and certainly not on those grounds. Our priority is to recapture the centre ground.

"The Conservative Party has to win over the person who is not very political but is worried about the state of the health service under this government, the person who has been looking for a political leader who will really tackle climate change with other countries and change the opinion and the atmosphere in this country, and they've got that in David Cameron and that is what our emphasis has got to be on."

Hague also said that the Conservatives "will not agree to the European constitution" if it is brought back by the German presidency of the EU.