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European Council, 16–17 June

My Lords, I strongly support the Prime Minister’s current arguments and reforming zeal, but does the noble Baroness agree that—as my noble friend Lord Tugendhat said in the context of finances—generally it is important not to arouse extravagant expectations of the British presidency? The most that we can expect is to begin the task of persuading our colleagues of the necessity of reform. The fruits of that will come later, and we must avoid disappointment. Does the Minister also agree that if we are to expect our support for the new countries to have credibility, it will be necessary, in view of the Prime Minister’s rejection of the Polish proposals for ensuring that the British rebate was not at the expense of those countries, to come up urgently with alternative proposals that will achieve the same effect?