Thursday 27 October 2011

When you're a small fish among big fish........

Presumably Cameron will be required to 'report to Parliament' on his 'euro meeting' which took place yesterday - a report which should be most interesting.

From the Mail it would appear that Cameron received the proverbial 'cold shoulder' from Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy and we learn from Bruno Waterfield, in the print edition of the Daily Telegraph (sorry, no link) that Cameron has failed to win reassurances from European leaders that Britain's economic interests will be protected if single-currency countries form a 'eurobloc' to deal with the financial crisis. Quoting a source from amongst European diplomats, apparently Cameron is getting nowhere and the tide is against him - in other words, he has been rebuffed by both France and Germany. That Cameron was most definitely on the sidelines can be illlustrated by the paucity of the content in statements being put out by the No10 website, the latest being this

One can only wonder at the short-sightedness of Cameron and Osborne who have been pressing that the 17 eurozone countries should sort out their own mess, but not then realizing that those 17 member states would form a bloc, one which would be taking decisions that will affect the remaining member states outside the euro. Now we have Osborne complaining about a 'two-tier Europe' and that Britain must be alert to the danger of 'caucusing' in areas that should legitimately be the preserve of the 27.

Nothing like being in the European Union and thus able to influence events, or as 'Wee Willie' likes to say: 'In Europe, but not run by Europe', is there Mr. Cameron?

6 comments:

Oldrightie said...

If he had any cojones he would now bring us out of this failed bureaucratic, German-Franco axis. It's little different than the one in the forties. Just Sarkozy has replaced Pétain.
So what if Dunkerque is replaced by Brussels!

Dr Evil said...

Have you seen the TV 'comedy prog, Jinsy? Well the coalition are about as useful as the Jinsy government.

This is a clear indication for the UK to get out ASAP of the EU. It was only ever any benefit to France and Germany and the parastical states taking money but giving nothing.

john in cheshire said...

Pull out of the EU and immediately put a huge import tax on german and french cars. See who squeals then.

PeterCharles said...

One consolation in all of this as the Eurobloc slithers ever closer to fiscal union is, given that the whole thing doesn't collapse first, still odds on in my book, at some point Britain will be faced with either becoming a full partner, adopting the Euro and all, or simply hovering on the fringes for ever more having to simply accept whatever our Franco-German friends decide. Not that it is any different now, the difference is they just won't be able to hide our lack of influence any more. By then public opinion will likely be 85% in favour of withdrawal and they will likely be in the position of granting a referendum or watching the Molotov cocktails decorating parliament.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Or: He hasn't so he won't!

C: No but agree with last para!

jic: We do not really want a trade war - do we?

PC: Agree with your conclusions, however how much damage can the polities do in the meantime?

selsey.steve said...

Link to Bruno Waterfield's column:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8850724/David-Cameron-fails-to-win-assurances-on-eurobloc.html