- Wednesday 22 May 2013
- My Account
- Logout
- Register
- Login
- News
-
Voices
-
Find by writer
- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
- Rebecca Armstrong
- Memphis Barker
- Terence Blacker
- Chris Blackhurst
- David Blanchflower
- Archie Bland
- Ian Burrell
- Andrew Buncombe
- Ben Chu
- Patrick Cockburn
- Laura Davis
- Mary Dejevsky
- Grace Dent
- Robert Fisk
- Andrew Grice
- Stefano Hatfield
- Philip Hensher
- Ian Herbert
- Howard Jacobson
- Ellen E Jones
- Alice Jones
- Owen Jones
- Simon Kelner
- Dominic Lawson
- Donald Macintyre
- Lisa Markwell
- Comment
- Campaigns
- Debate
- Editorials
- Letters
- IV Drip
- Archive
- Our Voices
- Commentators
- Columnists
- Democracy 2015
- IV Drip Archive
-
Find by writer
- Sport
- Tech
- Life
- Property
- Arts & Ents
- Travel
- Money
- IndyBest
- Blogs
- Student
Wednesday 23 January 2013
By offering an in/out referendum, Cameron made Ukip stronger. Let the war of independence begin!
In a mere 15 months, the Prime Minster has done a complete u-turn from his shambolic performance in October. Why should we believe what he said today?
The speech delivered by David Cameron today marked a fundamental change in the debate surrounding our membership of the European Union. This was a speech Cameron never wanted to give: he is passionate about our continued membership of the EU, and to risk the Eurosceptic British public putting a spanner in the works is something he would have avoided if possible.
Cast Iron Dave
But the growing tide of support for Ukip’s message led the Prime Minister to make a statement which in the end sounded like it had been taken from the “Yes” campaign of the 1970s. His support and commitment to the single market came shining through. It will be used, just as the term “Common Market” was in the 1970s, as an innocuous and cuddly phrase to lure people into supporting what is a political movement but disguised as a friendly trade organisation.
But all this will come after the next Parliament if, and it’s an unlikely if, Mr Cameron is re-elected. And it will come after attempts at negotiations which senior European figures have already started, are not welcome and unlikely to succeed. They may throw some cosmetic changes the Prime Minister’s way to aid his campaign for this country to remain bound in political union. But being able to fish for herring in the Solent or a few extra hours’ flexibility in the Working Time Directive won’t cut it.
David Cameron is right that the British people are upset at continually being refused a referendum. But Cast Iron Dave is the politician most guilty of that. His failure not only to grant us a vote on the Lisbon Treaty but the three-line whip on Tory MPs against a referendum in 2011 will remain in people’s minds.
U-turn
In a mere 15 months, the Prime Minister has done a complete U-turn from the shambles of that October to now telling the people that he is the man to deliver their wishes for a change in our relationship with the EU. Why should we believe him, especially when he has the power to offer an In/Out referendum in this parliament?
There are claims that the Prime Minister has shot Ukip’s fox. From the reaction we have had, quite the opposite is true. We even have a new councillor who has defected from the Tories on the back of this speech. The very fact that a referendum on Britain’s membership is being talked about is Ukip’s biggest victory to date. But the battle has only just begun. With Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems clear in their determination for Brussels to dominate how we live our lives, it is Ukip which will be leading the campaign for independence.
We have been fighting for years to get this subject on to the agenda and now we will be pushing our positive message of a UK free from Brussels’ regulation and able to retake our place on the world stage.
-
Ed Miliband is staring at an open goal and I know just the pair of strikers to win it for him
Matthew Norman -
Brazilian woman auctions her virginity on site 'Virgins Wanted' - take part in our prostitution survey
Laura Davis -
After woman sells virginity for $780,000, here are the results of our prostitution survey
Laura Davis -
The Daily Cartoon
-
In 1982, debris and flesh were scattered around Hyde Park – human and equine
David McKittrick
-
Woolwich attack: As the story of the killing breaks, the EDL will have something sinister in store
-
A worrying new face of the terror threat to the UK
-
As Google and Apple are probed on tax avoidance, it's time for political leaders around the world to take a stand and stamp the practice out
-
Stop laying into GPs. We don't deserve it
-
Editorial: The case for keeping the Coalition is clear
-
What a kiss can tell us about the Royal Family - and our own stiff upper-lip
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Related Articles
Get the best in opinion from Independent Voices, straight to your inbox every Thursday lunchtime.
Subscribe
Amol Rajan
A weekly update from the Editor
Day In a Page
How to say ‘I’m a sellout’
Why clubs are keen to take a stand