Rachida Dati MEP interview — David Cameron’s unlikely French ally in Brussels

The last time former French Justice Minister and MEP Rachida Dati had the attention of the British press she was embroiled in a combination of sex, politics and intrigue as only the French establishment could concoct. Now she’s back as an unlikely, but potentially vital, centrepiece to the Conservative leadership’s plan to keep Britain in Europe.

‘David Cameron has been brave in basically saying: we want the British people to feel comfortable in the EU, but we want them to have a “better deal”‘ Dati opines. We’re sat in the grandly gothic surroundings of London’s St Pancras station, and the last staging post en-route back to Brussels feels a suitable place to discuss Britain’s place in Europe. ‘It’s been clear for quite some time now that the British people want a referendum on the UK’s place in the EU. David Cameron has done the right thing in answering these aspirations.’

This must be music to Cameron’s ears, who last week admitted he’s not been greeted by a ‘wall of love’ in Europe since his re-election, and is presumably something she’s urged in person in her increasingly frequent London visits.