Can you hear that? Those faint (or not so faint) whispers in the background? They’re getting stronger. Referendum, referendum, REFERENDUM, REFERENDUM. Cameron’s statement in the Commons today wasn’t strictly about the proposed EU referendum, or the circus of threats that has ensued, but its presence could be felt everywhere.
Even without the referendum debacle sliming its way into every nook, cranny, and twitter catfight, the statement was already controversial. It was supposed to be about the European market for starters. Secondly, it has also been widely reported earlier today that Nicolas Sarkozy had read the riot act to David Cameron and told him to keep out of issues relating to the European market, by trying to get him banned from a meeting of eurozone members on Wednesday. ”We’re sick of you criticising us and telling us what to do. You say you hate the euro, you didn’t want to join and now you want to interfere in our meetings” Sarkozy supposedly told Cameron.
Cameron has some fights to fight, what with facing down the French, the creeping powers of the European Union, his coalition partners, Ed Miliband and the Labour Party, and most unfortunately members of his own party.
Was he in fighting mood today? Well, sort of. On paper his answers were firm. But his delivery lacked fire.
“Our national interest is to be in the EU, determining the rules governing the single market”.
“It is not the right time at this moment of economic crisis to launch an in out referendum”.
“When your neighbour’s house is on fire your first impulse should be to help them put out of fire”.
He directly addressed those supporting the motion, but crucially avoided coming directly to blows with those who want to leave the EU. “To those who are supporting today's motion but don't actually want to leave the EU, I say to you this: I respect your views. We disagree not about ends, but about means”.
The temptation to play on the Conservative’s history with Europe proved too much to resist for Ed Miliband, who talked of “the Tory party on Europe suffering another nervous breakdown” and “the resurrection of the old classic; to get rid of the social chapter and withdraw employment rights”.
“It’s a re-run of the old movie: an out of touch Tory party tearing itself apart over Europe”.
Miliband wasn’t the only one who couldn’t resist bringing up the old issues. Cameron himself made the mistake of comparing what he wanted to do in Europe i.e. boost growth, and make banks credible, to the steps taken by Margaret Thatcher in Europe. If there’s one thing you don’t do when you’ve angered the Tory right it’s to compare yourself to Margaret Thatcher. It won’t endear you to them; you’ll simply have taken their hero’s name in vain.
It’s no coincidence that Tory MPs were cheering when Miliband chided that Cameron “went into the summit lecturing the Germans, and came out being shouted at by the French”. Thatcher wouldn’t have put up with that, you could almost hear them saying.
You can even have Labour MPs jumping to Thatcher’s defence; as Dennis Macshane said “Margaret Thatcher put her money where her mouth is”.
“She did but the next government gave it away” hit back Cameron. A Freudian slip perhaps? Presumably he meant the next Labour government, because the next government of course was John Major’s. He suffered massively for being seen as weak on Europe. Cameron’s desperate not to be seen in the same way.
When one MP asked if Cameron had taken advice from John Major on the issue Cameron replied “you used to work for him, why don’t you ask him? I’m not sure if that’s on your CV, leave it off would be my advice”. Not the best thing to say when you used your party conference speech to have a go at Labour for booing Tony Blair.
When it came down to it many members simply wanted to know why Cameron was determined not to listen to the public, who had used the online petition system to signal their desire for a referendum.
“I believe in the importance of parliament. The opinions of governments matter” came Cameron’s reply. So much so that they’re willing to impose a three line whip on anyone who disagrees.
The debate goes on, but the atmosphere is fraught, and Cameron certainly hasn’t helped himself with his performance today. He’s managed to irritate both the Thatcherites and the Major loyalists, or in other words a fairly sizeable chunk of his own party, and make no mistake his party are willing to fight back. The sooner Cameron starts fighting fire with fire the better. He certainly doesn’t want to seem wet.
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