What are we to make of the Prime Minister's 'NO'. Small word. Big impact.
Since the vote to remain in the EEC in 1975, (I voted to withdraw) I have accepted membership of what is now the EU - and wanted 'the club' to function as successfully as possible. However, I was implacably opposed to the UK adopting the Euro in place of Sterling. Always reckoned that the Euro was a huge mistake, which at some stage will collapse in acrimony - though hopefully not in a disorderly way. In the meantime, I have and will continue to support the Prime Minister's efforts to support the Eurozone - short of paying for the irresponsible and incompetent financial management of its members.
I had hoped there would have been a treaty which the Prime Minister could have signed in Brussels. There would have been a right rumpus, but I would have supported him. But there wasn't, and he didn't, and Coalition MPs accept that he was right. There was no way that David Cameron could sign up to what was on offer - a blatant attempt to blame the UK for the mess that the Eurozone has become. And a blatant attempt to force the City of London to pay for its mistakes. The Prime Minister said NO. He did what he had to do. He accepted the burden of responsibility dropped on his shoulders. He did what no other British PM has ever done before. David Cameron refused to be bullied by EU leaders, who were absolutely astonished to hear the word NO.
So where are we now. In some ways nothing much has changed, and yet everything has changed. The Eurozone countries will carry on Canute-like to keep the Eurozone intact. The de-democratisation of Europe will gather speed, as elected politicians are cast aside, and sovereign governments hand over control of economies to EU institutions. It may even be that EU countries will try to push through financial regulations which will undermine the wealth-creating, tax-paying City of London. But the EU now knows that for the first time ever, the UK has a Prime Minister who will say No in defence of British interests. As with all forms of human activity, the second time is a lot easier than the first. If our Prime Minister continues to show cool resolution, supporting the Eurozone efforts to manage their economies as they wish, backed up by a willingness to say NO, he will have the full support of most of his party and most of our Lib Dem colleagues as well.
7 comments:
I think Cameron was right and brave. I don't have much truck with the City, the City Fat Cat's greed helped get us into the financial mess we are in. I'm talking, of course, about the senior bankers the 'Masters of the Universe' who wore the Emperor's new clothes when it came to risk evaluation;sub-prime loans and leverage. Nevertheless Cameron did the right thing but for reasons of democracy not protection of the City. I admire him for that.
mairede - I don't think many of us have any time for the greed and selfishness of some in the City, but its where a big chunk of the Government's revenues come from. I hear people saying they would be happy to see the finacial sector more to China or New York or wherever. They would be the first to complain if the Coalition Gov't had to make much deeper cuts as a consequence.
It seems like 62% of the population agrees with you Glyn
As Ed Milliband said, a veto puts a stop to something - his refusing to agree to the treaty has made no difference as it's going ahead anyway - just without Britain - so that's NOT a veto.
Good or bad decision? Time will tell.
Cannot agree with you re your Twitter comments on "The Frozen Planet" and David Attenborough. The footage of the polar bear mother and cubs were outstanding, and of course they could not have filmed it in a real life situation for very good reasons, as explained by David Attenborough.
However - it would have been interesting to see at the end of the programme how they had set it up, but has since been shown how on the news this morning.
Fabulous series.
Frankie - I agree with you that time will tell - or it will all very soon be overtaken by events!
I too thought that the polar bear sequence was amazing TV, but I was naive enough to believe it was filmed in the Antarctic. Now if I'd thought about it, I would have realised it couldn't have been. My issue is that the BBC should have made clear at the end of the programme that it was filmed elsewhere.
Very naive as there are no polar bears at all in the Antarctic
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