Will Cameron last as PM until Election 2015

Cameron and his party conspire to create a European shambles


The Prime Minister’s concessions over the EU referendum have eroded his
authority








The tragedy for David Cameron is
that before this latest farcical episode of The Muppet Show, he had arrived at a
perfectly sensible policy Photo: Getty
Images






By Iain Martin

7:33PM BST 14 May 2013

603 Comments




In the summer of 2001, when David Cameron had only been an MP for a matter of
weeks, he went to see Iain Duncan Smith in his office at Westminster. In that
year’s general election, Tony Blair had just wiped the Conservatives off his
shoe for a second time, securing another landslide victory. Dazed Tories
wondered what on earth to do next.


When in doubt, the modern Conservative Party tends to have a leadership
contest. So it was that IDS, Ken Clarke, Michael Portillo, David Davis and
Michael Ancram came to compete for the right to succeed William Hague. IDS, now
Work and Pensions Secretary in Cameron’s Cabinet, would eventually draw the
short straw, but in July, the leadership election was still ongoing. “Raging”
would be too strong a word for such a desultory campaign, taking place against a
backdrop guaranteed to depress Tories: Tony Blair was triumphant, the Iron
Chancellor, Gordon Brown, said boom and bust had been ended, and it was
fashionable to wonder whether the Conservatives could ever win power again.



In search of inspiration, Mr Cameron, like many of his colleagues, toured the
offices of the leadership hopefuls, sizing them up in an effort to decide which
one to back. There would be various ballots involving MPs before the final
choice went out to almost 300,000 party members. (That is not a misprint:
relatively recently, the Conservative Party really did have 300,000 members.)



As the highly confident MP for Witney waited to be ushered in to see IDS, a
veteran rebel of the wars over Maastricht, he fell into conversation with
various others in the outer office. Cameron said he wanted the new leader to be
someone who could put a stop to the party’s infighting on subjects such as
Europe, in order that it might concentrate on winning again. Why, he asked,
can’t we all just get along?


It is in that pragmatic spirit that Mr Cameron has conducted his European
policy since he himself became leader more than seven and a half years ago. It
turns out to have been a naive hope. Put that question to more excitable Tory
MPs – why can’t we all just get along? – and the answer turns out to be: how
long have you got?



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But the events of the past 48 hours have marked a new low in Mr Cameron’s
leadership. In particular, there has been a serious erosion of the Prime
Minister’s authority. Mr Cameron did not want a Bill in this parliament on an EU
referendum. Then, in a sudden effort to encourage Tory MPs to soft-pedal on an
amendment critical of the Queen’s Speech’s failure to mention a referendum, he
gave way while on a trip to visit President Obama.

Life is too short to explain fully what the backbenchers’ amendment is about.
Suffice to say, the PM hoped that by publishing a Bill, he would calm the
situation and assuage the rebels. No such luck. Within hours of No 10 announcing
that it, or rather the Tory party, was publishing a draft Bill that would commit
the next parliament (a constitutional impossibility) to an in-out referendum,
some were pushing for more. The Bill should get Government time, came the
demand. Not possible: there’s a Coalition. Have a referendum before the
election, they cried. How, with no majority in the Commons? The opinion polls
also suggest the public is divided: any such campaign could easily result in a
vote to stay in.

While some Tory MPs have gone on record to say they are pleased that the
referendum Bill has been published, those who are enthusiastic about staying in
the EU (there are about 30) are appalled. Several others I spoke to just seemed
to be trying to keep up, hour by hour, with the Prime Minister’s evolving
position.

Some Conservatives complain that this is all unfair. This trouble is all got
up by the Europhile media – can’t you see that there is total harmony and no
Tory split? They act as though saying this repeatedly, with a smile, will
somehow make it true. That is Panglossian piffle. I am a Eurosceptic and I know
a Tory shambles when I see one. This is definitely a Tory shambles.

The irony, and the tragedy for Mr Cameron, is that before this latest
farcical episode of The Muppet Show, he had arrived at a perfectly sensible
policy. In January, he declared that if elected in 2015, he would commit himself
to renegotiating the terms of British membership of the EU. He would then put
the results to the country in an in/out referendum.

This was an entirely logical and coherent position, around which all members
of the Tory tribe should have been able to unite. More importantly, the
electorate might even like it. Those who believe in getting out could look
forward to a vote. Those who want to try renegotiation could be reassured that
it would be attempted. Those who want to stay in could go into the election
knowing that the issue had been parked, but that they would get the chance to
campaign for Brussels. Crucially, this policy meant that voting Tory at the next
election would be the only serious way to get a referendum. It also made
practical sense, with the euro crisis unresolved.

It had, admittedly, taken Mr Cameron a long time to get to such a sensible
position. Initially, he was merely determined that the party should, as he put
it, stop “banging on about Europe”, and that his leadership would not be
dominated by the rows that have disfigured the Tory party since the fall of
Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Cameron set out to change the broken record, hoping that voters who think
the Tories weird for their fixation on Europe would take another look. Being
David Cameron, he hoped to make Europe go away mainly by relying on his charming
personality, and did not think too much about the details.

At first, this got him into terrible difficulty, chiefly over his abandonment
of a cast-iron guarantee to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. (He pointed
out, in vain, that the treaty had long since been ratified.) Eventually, with
the aid of William Hague, he set out to craft the compromise of renegotiation
and then a referendum.

The beauty of this policy was its simplicity. It acknowledged clearly that
the EU is important and that the Tories mean to do something about it if they
get a majority. But it created space in which they could also talk about other
matters, such as welfare, the economy and Labour’s suitability, or otherwise,
for office. It also gave Eurosceptics time to construct a case for withdrawal
that goes beyond standard-issue rhetoric and baseless assertions.

For a while, it seemed that the overwhelming bulk of the parliamentary party
understood this. Yet just four months later, the panic induced by the rise of
Ukip seems to have so frightened some MPs that they have moved back to
negotiating live on air, on a daily basis, with the Prime Minister. Bizarrely,
he seems prepared to go along with this, and to offer concessions rather than
holding the line.

The sorry result is that his policy is no longer simple. It is confusing. It
has a Bill attached, to be introduced immediately (or perhaps not), and there is
a row about how ministers would vote if there was a referendum today, which
there won’t be. The matter is being reduced to a traditional Tory squabble,
which will baffle many watching voters.

Once again, under pressure, the Conservatives are getting themselves lost in
the politics of the student union; of Eurosceptic angels dancing on the heads of
pins; of men (almost always men) having arcane arguments about motions,
timetables and Private Members’ Bills. They have lost the plot.

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EU Referendum

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In EU Referendum





Watch Cameron's EU speech in full







Clegg: referendum will 'hit growth and jobs'







Farage: Cameron has 'no chance' of new EU
treaty






Westerwelle: UK can't cherry-pick EU
benefits






France would 'roll out red carpet' for UK
exit

Share ==================================== I think Cameron has treated the population shamefully and the sooner he goes the better. All this dithering is for political reasons , not to get the best deal for Britain in fact, I was reading that this new date will not be accepted by the EU, something to do with the amount of notice a Country must give.

There are gasps in the Commons at the number of MPs who
backed criticism of the lack of EU referendum bill in the Queen's Speech.


10:31pm UK,
Wednesday 15 May 2013



Video: Queen's Speech Amendment
Defeated
Enlarge

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  More than 100 MPs have expressed their "regret" at the
  Government's decision not to include an EU referendum bill in its new
  legislative programme.
  
  
  The 130 MPs backed an amendment to the Queen's Speech, tabled by Tory
  Eurosceptics John Baron and Peter Bone, in a House of Commons vote.
  How MPs voted
  
  Mr Baron's amendment was signed by 92 MPs, mostly Conservative
  Eurosceptics. But, despite the support, it was defeated by 277 votes to 130,
  majority 147.
  
  
  Prime Minister David Cameron had said he was relaxed about the s vote
  and offered Tory backbenchers and unpaid Government aides a free vote.
  
  
  Ministers were told they were allowed to abstain in the vote on Mr
  Baron's amendment, which expressed regret that an EU referendum bill was not
  included in the Queen's Speech.
  
  
  And in a further effort to win over Eurosceptics, the Conservative
  Party yesterday published a draft EU Referendum Bill paving the way for an
  in-out vote before the end of 2017.
  
  
  As the Liberal Democrats oppose the measure, the legislation will have to be
  brought forward as a Private Member's Bill.
  
  
  The ballot is on Thursday morning and it is expected that the bill will be
  picked up by a well-placed Tory Eurosceptic.
  
  
  There were gasps in the Commons as the number of MPs to vote for Mr Baron's
  amendment was read out.
  
  
  There had been reports during the day that the number of MPs prepared to
  vote for the amendment had dropped off after the promise to introduce a draft EU
  referendum bill following the ballot.
  The PM said the issue of Europe should be kept
  in "proper context"
  
  Mr Baron had pledged to stick with his amendment despite being unable to
  get 100 MPs to sign it. But in the end far more than 100 voted in favour of
  the amendment.
  
  
  Despite Mr Cameron offering the concession of a free vote to backbenchers
  and Government aides, the vote will probably be seen as the most significant
  since October 2011 when 111 MPs, around 80 of them Conservative, revolted
  over Europe in a bid to exert pressure for an in-out referendum.
  
  
  Earlier, in the Commons debate on the Queen's Speech, Mr Baron, the MP
  for Basildon and Billericay, said if the Government pushed a bill in its own
  time, it would ensure a majority of MPs would be needed to stop it.
  
  
  The Prime Minister had earlier insisted he was "profoundly relaxed" about the
  vote, despite scores of Tory MPs being expected to support it.
  
  
  But he had stressed that Tories who supported the amendment would not
  be rebelling against the whip.
  
  
  "The most important thing is that the Queen's Speech is going to be
  getting the overwhelming backing of the House of Commons and the programme in it
  will be continuing," he told reporters, adding that the issue of Europe should
  be kept in "proper context".
  
  
  "If you are reworking this relationship and you are going through a process
  of reform then a certain amount of discussion when you look at issues can
  be useful," the premier said.
  
  
  "But we should keep it in proper context. It is one of many reforms that I
  want to pursue."
  

New defeat means British taxpayers must pay an extra £770m in 'unjustified'
EU contributions


David Cameron's attempts to rein in EU spending suffered a major defeat
after Europe's finance ministers outnumbered Britain to impose an extra £770
million in "unjustified" contributions the Treasury must pay to Brussels this
year.








David Cameron, the Prime
Minister, addresses the press at an EU summit in Brussels Photo: AP






By Bruno Waterfield,
Brussels

7:03PM BST 14 May 2013


153 Comments




The setback for the Prime Minister will add to Conservative turmoil over the
question of EU membership as well as
putting pressure on Labour and the Liberal Democrats to back a referendum on
Europe.


Cash-strapped European governments must now find an additional £6.2 billion
for the Brussels budget, a 5.5 per cent increase, at a time of deep cuts to
national public spending and EU-imposed austerity in the eurozone.


The raid to pay unpaid bills and to meet a budget shortfall will take
Britain's contributions to £14.7 billion this year, meaning that the cost to
average British household of belonging to the EU will be £581.


"When countries and citizens across Europe are having to make difficult
decisions with their budgets, Europe itself should practice what it preaches
with its own budget," said a Treasury spokesman.


"This amendment was unjustified, which is why Britain opposed it."



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Britain, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Austria opposed paying the
increase which might only be a first instalment on a larger EU budget shortfall
which could add yet another £400 million to the bill for British taxpayers by
the autumn.

Germany and France withdrew opposition allowing the budget increase to go
through.

The European Parliament insisted on the extra payment as the price for
supporting a February agreement to cut 3.3 per cent from EU budgets between 2014
and 2020, a deal hailed as a victory by the Prime Minister.

Officials noted that under the longer-term spending agreement Britain's EU
contributions should begin to drop by £640 million a year.

"Earlier this year, Britain fought for and secured a budget deal for future
years that is billions of euros less than this year, saving British taxpayers
billions of pounds," said the Treasury spokesman.

Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, said the defeat bolstered the arguments of
campaigners for Britain to leave the EU.

"What timing, what irony. On the day Cameron is offering a meaningless
promise of a referendum, he gets an iron fisted rejection from Brussels," he
said.

"This is another huge defeat for him at EU level, and shows the possibility
of EU reform is non-existent. Lets face the facts, the only way is out."

The Conservatives are becoming mired in arguments with themselves


Taking a cavalier approach to party management may be David Cameron's
biggest mistake








Party membership under Mr
Cameron had already more than halved but the bad feeling stirred up by the gay
marriage Bill means it will not be long before it falls below the 100,000
mark Photo:
AFDP/GETTY






By Iain Martin

4:19PM BST 18 May 2013

208 Comments




Why is a senior Cameroon attacking Tory members?


This latest episode tops a deeply frustrating period for the Conservative
leadership, with the Tory party at Westminster increasingly bogged down in
arguments with itself. This week the gay marriage Bill comes back to the
Commons, with a rebellion anticipated involving by MPs and even ministers
anticipated. Forget the spin attempted by No 10 last week, that the Prime
Minister’s team is relaxed about the recent Tory shenanigans on subjects such as
Europe. A rebel amendment criticising the Queen’s Speech attracted the support
of more than 100 Tory MPs, and the Prime Minister has been forced to concede
reluctantly a draft Bill calling for an EU referendum. But the comment by
someone very close to David Cameron, that Tory members are “mad, swivel-eyed
lunatics”, has inflamed the situation and infuriated Conservative MPs. Said one
mainstream MP yesterday: “This individual should have been fired by the Prime
Minister by lunchtime. Attacking the members and activists we have left is
madness.”


How damaging is it?


It is certainly another gift to Ukip as it tries to woo disaffected Tories.
And once again, in terms of the broader electorate, the risk for the Tories is
that it makes them look like a rabble addicted to infighting. But the worst
damage will be inside the party itself. The shrinking membership is the backbone
of the party in the country, made up of Conservatives who give up their time for
free to stuff envelopes, deliver leaflets and stand as councillors. Insulting
them is shockingly ill-advised, particularly at a moment when Mr Cameron needs
all the support he can get. Mr Cameron’s fiercest critics are already saying
that the “loon” slur proves the validity of their charge that the dwindling band
of so-called Tory modernisers have always viewed non-metropolitan Conservatives
with contempt.


Is that accusation fair?



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From early on his leadership it has been a problem. In 2007 when Mr Cameron
picked a fight with many Conservative-inclined voters by opposing calls for more
grammar schools it wasn’t enough for him to disagree with his opponents, he had
to call them “deluded”. It established a pattern, and both sides have become
steadily more abusive about each other. In the end, taking a cavalier approach
to party management may turn out to be the Prime Minister’s single biggest
miscalculation. Rather than trying to find common ground and persuade other
Conservatives to unite around what they agree on, too often the Cameroons have
seen leadership in terms of a fight between “mods” and right-wing “rockers”. But
it is Mr Cameron’s adoption of the policy of gay marriage that has most angered
those on the traditional wing of the Tory party.

Will gay marriage go ahead?

Almost certainly. It is likely that the measure will in some form eventually
become law with Labour support, although not before another round of
Conservative blood-letting. Another messy week of infighting at Westminster is
in prospect, with the party’s divisions to the fore. Tory opponents of the Bill
are pushing an amendment, which outraged Conservative supporters of gay marriage
say is designed to scupper their cherished reform. Regardless of one’s views on
the subject, Mr Cameron’s decision to push a measure that is so divisive in his
own party looks bizarre considering the number of other fronts on which he is
under pressure.

How has the gay marriage issue impacted on party membership?


Ministers and MPs swap horror stories of the number of members lost by their
local Conservative associations. Party membership under Mr Cameron had already
more than halved before gay marriage but party insiders say that the added
impetus generated by the Bill means that it will not be long before it falls
below the 100,000 mark. To put that in context, for much of Margaret Thatcher’s
time as leader the Tories had more than one million members, and when Mr Cameron
became leader it was well over 250,000. Lord Feldman, co-chairman of the
Conservative party, launched a membership drive earlier this year in an effort
to win back those who have left, but this latest row will not help much in that
endeavour.

How will Ed Miliband respond?

At the moment all he has to do is sit back with a smile on his face and enjoy
the spectacle. However, although the Labour leader can take some satisfaction in
Tory discomfort, the rise of Ukip also presents him with a challenge. Labour is
still leading in the polls, but it is doing so on a relatively small share of
the vote. Mr Miliband’s personal ratings are poor and Labour is not widely
trusted on the economy. Mr Cameron’s best hope, increasingly a vain hope, is
that his party calms down, somehow, and voters focus on Labour’s weaknesses.

Nick Clegg Reads Tory Right The Riot Act


The Deputy PM attacks Tory MPs for "game-playing" after a
week of turmoil but insists the coalition will last until 2015.


8:32am UK,
Wednesday 22 May 2013

Deputy PM Nick Clegg says 'the coalition still has work
to do'

• 
  
• 
  
  
  
  Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has insisted that the coalition will
  last until 2015 as he attacks Conservative backbenchers for being "consumed by
  game playing".
  
  The Deputy Prime Minister will have infuriated Tory MPs by accusing them of
  "disappearing into a parliamentary rabbit warren" after a week of revolts over
  Europe and gay marriage.
  
  But he dismissed speculation about an early break-up of the Con-Lib pact and
  called for a refocus on the economy.
  
  His warning to the Tory right will be seen as a slap down and will raise
  questions about why Mr Cameron himself is not reading his party the riot
  act.
  
  The Prime Minister fuelled speculation about a coalition split before 2015 at
  the weekend when he said in an interview that he may be forced to confront "new
  circumstances".
  
  But he insisted on Wednesday that the partnership would continue and
  dismissed suggestions his Government was running out of steam.
  
  "To anyone who doubts the life there is left in the coalition, I would argue
  there is more to come. Very bold reforming and strong government, and that is
  what we will be right up till polling day," he told the BBC.
  
  Mr Clegg, in a speech in Westminster, also argued that it was in neither
  parties' interests to "prematurely pull the plug".
  
  "This coalition has been remarkably radical; it still has work to do; and the
  best way for us to serve and improve Britain is by finishing what we started,"
  he said.
  Nick Clegg insists the coalition will last
  until 2015
  "I am absolutely committed to this coalition lasting until 2015 - as is the
  Prime Minister."
  
  He claimed voters would not forgive the Tories or Lib Dems if they called
  time before the next election, "destabilising the nation in the vague hope of
  short-term political gain".
  
  Mr Clegg also denied that the Lib Dems would be able to win back critics of
  the coalition deal by quitting six months early.
  
  "The Liberal Democrats look forward to fighting the next election as a party
  of government, on our record in government, and with a distinct vision of our
  own for the next government - having seen this one through until the end," he
  said.
  
  Mr Clegg hit out at Tory MPs for "obsessing over this new tactic or that new
  trick" following party in-fighting about an EU referendum and same-sex
  marriage.
  
  "Anyone watching would be forgiven for asking: what are these politicians
  doing?," he said. "So it's time to get back to governing; providing the
  leadership and focus the people of Britain deserve in these difficult times.
  
  "Britain is facing the most profound economic challenge in living memory. And
  now, more than ever, we cannot allow Parliament to be clogged up by these
  matters simply because they cause the biggest political punch ups."
  
  Some Lib Dems are angry that major reforms to pensions and social care, which
  were in the Queen's Speech, have been lost amid the latest Tory wrangling.
  
  Mr Clegg meanwhile has attracted the ire of many Conservatives by demanding a
  rethink of Tory-led flagship childcare reforms.
  
  The Deputy PM admitted that there are likely to be further disagreements and
  that he and Mr Cameron will be under more pressure to act as party leaders as
  2015 nears.
  
  But he added: "Whether you are the larger or smaller party, the fact is
  governing together in the public interest carries a cost.
  
  "Making compromises; doing things you find uncomfortable; challenging some of
  your traditional support - these are the dilemmas the Conservatives are coming
  to terms with, just as my party has had to."
  
  Despite being "staunch opponents", the coalition "remains united" on the
  central task of reviving the economy, he said
  

David Cameron pledge to Tories: No more divisive issues like gay
marriage


David Cameron has promised to stop concentrating on policies like gay
marriage and instead be “absolutely focused” on “big picture” issues including
the economy and education.








Mr Cameron pledged to focus on
the economy, his welfare reforms and education. Photo:
REUTERS





By Peter Dominiczak, Political
Correspondent

9:13AM BST 22 May 2013


241 Comments




Following a split in the Conservative Party, the Prime Minister attempted to
reassure backbenchers that gay marriage will not be the “first of many other
issues like that”.


In what will be seen as an attempt to unite an increasingly divided Tory
party, Mr Cameron pledged to focus on the economy, welfare reforms and
education.


However, he issued a warning to backbenchers pushing for a European Union
referendum before 2015, telling them that his policy “is not going to change”
regardless of how much pressure they put him under.


Mr Cameron admitted that same-sex marriage “divides” the Conservative Party
but said that he is “proud” that young boys who are gay will now be able to
“stand that bit taller”.


The Prime Minister’s plan to allow same-sex couples to marry passed its final
Commons hurdle yesterday despite an attempt by almost half of Conservative MPs
to block the reform.



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Two Cabinet ministers, David Jones, the Welsh Secretary, and Owen Paterson,
the Environment Secretary, were among the 133 Conservative MPs who voted against
the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Mr Cameron said: “There will be
young boys in schools today who are gay, who are worried about being bullied,
who are worried about what society thinks of them, who can see that the highest
Parliament in the land has said that their love is worth the same as anyone
else’s love and that we believe in equality. And I think they’ll stand that bit
taller today and I’m proud of the fact that has happened.

“But if you’re saying to me, ‘Is the first now of many other issues like
that?’ No it isn’t. The Government now is going to be absolutely focused on the
big picture, which is fixing our economy, reforming welfare, making sure there
are good schools for our children to go to.”

Despite attempting to reassure unruly backbenchers over gay marriage, the
Prime Minister remained bullish over Europe, warning Eurosceptics that he will
make no further concessions to them over an EU referendum.

Mr Cameron last week rushed out laws to guarantee that the public is assured
an in-out referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017.


The draft Bill was published last week amid growing pressure from Tory MPs
and ministers for a referendum to be guaranteed in law.

The Prime Minister said that no matter how much pressure he comes under in
the coming months from Tory MPs “this policy is not going to change”.

“It’s a very clear, very decisive policy and let me say – this policy, [it]
doesn’t matter the pressure I come under from outside the Conservative Party or
in Europe or inside the Conservative Party.

“This policy is not going to change. The question is not going to change. The
number of referenda isn’t going to change. The date by which we hold this
referendum isn’t going to change. It’s the right policy for the country.”

Cameron 'remains in charge' while on holiday


David Cameron "remains in charge" as he takes a week's holiday away from
Britain, Downing Street said today.








Prime Minister David Cameron and
his wife Samantha take a drink by a beach during their holiday on the Spanish
Island of Ibiza Photo:
PA





By Agencies

2:08PM BST 26 May 2013




The Prime Minister and his wife Samantha soaked up the sun in Ibiza on Sunday
after flying out to the island on Saturday.


Mr Cameron has been accompanied by a small team of key staff and is being
kept up to date over developments in the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby.


Amid suggestions he should have remained in the country, Mr Cameron won
support from an unlikely source.


Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries, a well-known critic of her party's leader,
said it was "ridiculous" to criticise him for having a few days away.


She told Murnaghan on Sky News: "We have got the internet, we've got mobile
phones.



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"I think Cameron could actually get back from Ibiza to London quicker than if
he was in Cornwall.

"I think he is entitled to a holiday, he's entitled to be with his family. I
actually want the Prime Minister to be refreshed, feeling happy because he's had
holiday time with his kids and his wife and come back and be a refreshed Prime
Minister."

Looking relaxed and casual, the couple sipped coffee against a picturesque
beachside backdrop.

Mr Cameron, in a dark shirt and open-toed sandals, and his wife, who was
sporting a teal-coloured sun dress, were left undisturbed by nearby customers,
including fellow Brits.

A No10 spokesman said: "The PM is on holiday with his family for the week. As
always, whilst away, he remains in charge, and has office support with him."

CAMERON LOSES HIS COOL

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By Will Heaven (JK is away)


CAMERON LOSES HIS COOL


The Prime Minister did not sleep well last night - and boy did it show today. At a press conference in Brussels he launched a withering attack on his fellow European leaders after other countries attempted a 1am "ambush" to slash the British rebate by £1.5 billion. Mr Cameron said he found it "immensely frustrating" the way the EU works: he complained that he had to "lock and load" every time he came to summits. It is understood that French negotiators riled the PM after they argued that agricultural grants for new members should be excluded from rebate calculations.

Key Cameron quotes: "It is, and I won't lie, it is immensely frustrating sometimes, the way this organisation works. In February, in the conclusions, it was written that the British rebate would continue as before...

"It is frankly not acceptable for it to be left to the last minute and then an attempt at reopening it, and an ambush at 1am at the end of a European Council meeting.

"I think this is no way for an organisation to conduct itself.