Rallying call to save Royal British Legion clubs
- Today's leader
Leader: David Cameron, remember you are British
Thursday 8th December 2011, 12:30PM GMT.
The next 48 hours could be the defining period of David Cameron’s premiership.
What do people remember about Margaret Thatcher? In the context of Europe, it is of her batting determinedly for Britain, and handbagging any of the European leaders who tremulously tried to stand up to her.
John Major was a Conservative leader whose premiership was crippled by party fractures on Europe. The Tories were at war under him. They never recovered and this disunited bunch of infighters were booted out in 1997.
David Cameron is the master of slick presentation and salesmanship. But now the bluster has to stop and we shall see where his heart and soul really lie.
He has a number of audiences to which to play. There are his backslapping European pals who will be asking: Are you with us? Are you “in the heart of Europe”?
It is an implicit inducement for him to play the great European statesman on the European stage, with Britain doing what is best for… Europe.
And then coming up with a way to sell it back home.
But if he sells Britain out, he will not be able to get away with it. Maybe he will be able to bamboozle and confound Ed Miliband in the Commons.
His own backbenchers are another matter. The Eurosceptics are on the march, and any attempt to fudge, dissemble, or backtrack will not get past them. Flimflam detectors are on maximum sensitivity.
There is the unique extra dimension in that the administration can only survive with the help of the Euro-friendly Lib Dems.
It all looks an impossible juggling of competing interests. But it is not really.
If Mr Cameron wants to know how to play things over Europe, he only has to look to his job description.
British Prime Minister.
Sponsored Links
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff doesn't raise a smile
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
My abiding memory of Thatcher is as the British PM who agreed the Maastricht Treaty. Good on her, about the only good thing she did do.
But what – exactly – is the Star so afraid David Cameron will “give up” for Britain here? There are no actual issues outlined in the article – just some huffin’ and puffin’ about not losing out to the dreaded Europeans.
Holding our neighbours to ransom in such an opportunistic way whilst their economies are in severe trouble is hardly statesmanship. Snidey and cowardly, sure, but not really the British way I would hope.
Report abuse
‘My abiding memory of Thatcher is as the British PM who agreed the Maastricht Treaty.’
Not quite, Fantastic, that was John Major. Remember him, the seemingly amiable, grey-haired chap who somehow managed to stay in power for 7 years? And he did negotiate a couple of opt-outs, notably one on the Social Chapter. Quite proud of it he was too.
Thatcher did sign the Single European Act, the most integrationist piece of EU legislation up to that point, in 1986, so the sceptic’s memory of her ‘standing up for Britain in Europe’ is at best rather selective.
And today’s Tory ‘Eurosceptics’ make me laugh quite frankly. They have zero interest in protecting British sovereignty, democracy or, indeed, British people. All they are interested in is ring-fencing their public-school pals in the City of London.
The only group of serious people who didn’t trust the EU for genuinely democratic reasons were socialists ; Tony Benn, Michael Foot and Barbara Castle back in the 70s/early 80s. The Tories have only ever been sceptic just because they don’t like the idea of a bit of protection for low-wage workers.
Report abuse
That was why I was careful not to say signed the Maastricht treaty – you are absolutely right that was Major (but only after the Tory party had stabbed their beloved leader in the back). But she had committed the country to Maastricht by that time – and so many people conveniently forget that.
Agree with your post overall though!
Report abuse
Well, apologies for jumping in too quickly and not reading properly.
The Tories have a history of ripping themselves to shreds over Europe, it’ll be interesting to see what happens…
Report abuse
Let another little-Englander whose views on the UK and Europe seem to be influenced by the Daily Mail and little else.
With the emerging economies and the failed relationship with the US (wars, lack of trade etc), the UK needs Europe as much as (if not more) than Europe needs us.
His job title is actually PM of the United Kingdom (not Great Britain – as where does NI fit into it?) and he should represent the interests of the UK – and as the EU is our largest trading partner, we should do whatever it takes to ensure Europe’s (and by definition, our) prosperity.
But hey, let’s just rant and rage about the ghastly EU eh.
Report abuse
I read the headline with such hopeful anticipation only to have those hopes dashed….
I so wanted the sentence to end not with ‘British’ but ‘A Womble’
Report abuse