EU Shocker: The United States agrees with the British Government! – Spectator Blogs

Good grief. Are we supposed to be surprised that senior officials at the US State Department take the view that Britain should, all things considered, remain a member of the European Union? Of course not. Are, however, we supposed to be shocked by Foggy Bottom’s impertinence in saying so? Apparently so.

Of course, if the Obama administration were to say that it’s in America’s interests for Britain to leave the EU then I hazard many of those pretending – for surely it must only be a pretence? – to be outraged by this damned interference in our own affairs would instead welcome the Americans’ intervention in the debate and use it as yet more evidence the EU is a busted flush and that the future lies in some grand Churchillian alliance of the English-speaking peoples.

Well, fine. But must we be so touchy about these things? Have we really reached the stage at which we considerate illegitimate or, worse still, inappropriate for our closest allies to declare their interests? It seems so, at least as far as eurosceptics are concerned.