It’s unfortunate that what is a very important topic has been reduced to accusations of nationalism and xenophobia – and I’m not talking solely about AB users.
As soon as Mr Cameron’s decision at the summit was announced the usual suspects came forth with their “Little Englander” jibes. There were suggestions from both sides of the channel that the other side had been reduced to “pygmy” status.
Add to this the duplicity of Nick Clegg who had, before the summit, been fully consulted and had agreed to the government’s proposed stance:
9th December: Mr Clegg said the UK's demands for safeguards were "modest and reasonable" and he regretted that it proved impossible for agreement to be reached. He also sympathised with David Cameron because he felt the prime minister had faced intransigence on behalf of the French and German governments
12th December: Mr Cameron’s refusal to sign up was “...a move described by his deputy, Nick Clegg, as "bad for Britain". And that's not all he said.
13th December: Mr Clegg refuses to attend the House of Commons to listen to the PM’s statement on the matter as his presence “would serve as a distraction.”
Then further add to it all the fact that within less tha a week the cataclysmic consequences of threated isolation which had been forecast by the Europhiles had already been shown to be utterly false.
All the Prime Minister was doing was to protect UK interests against a proposal to “save the euro” (which will do no such thing anyway, with or without our agreement). Whether he was right or wrong in his decision only time will tell, but that is not the point. Heads of government throughout Europe do it all the time to protect their national interests and scarcely a word is uttered.
But when the UK Prime Minister does so, the name calling begins. And most of it originates from this side of the English Channel.