THE GOVERNMENT is heading for deep water over fish - or possibly even to the rocks.

It has lambasted as "crazy" the European Court ruling that allows Spanish fishermen to sue Britain for banning them from UK waters.

But it may not be able to protest hard enough to quieten the Tory Euro rebels or the angered fishing industry lobby.

It was, remember, the refractory Euro-sceptics and MPs with fishing port seats who combined to defeat the government in December on the fisheries issue.

They are furious and they could do it again.

But this time the Major regime's hold on power is really wafer-thin.

And though the government intends to raise the Euro court's fishing ruling at the EU summit later this month, how can it hope to overturn it when Britain is a major advocate of adherence to community law.

Protesting that the rules are crazy in this instance may not be enough.

For complying with them, however reluctantly, may only foment a fresh civil war in the Tory fold at Westminster - and perhaps the one that sinks the government.

Yet, dare the government itself rebel against Europe in order to survive?

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