The rebellion wasn’t just against Europe — it was also against Cameron’s style of leadership

In the hours leading up to Monday’s vote in the Commons on the EU referendum motion, frantic negotiations took place between No. 10 and Nick Clegg’s office. Downing Street wanted the Liberal Democrat leader to stay away from both David Cameron’s statement on the European Council and William Hague’s speech in the debate. It feared that the presence of the deputy Prime Minister would inflame the tinder-dry Tory benches. One Tory remarked that this was a moment when the party would appreciate some space.

Eventually they reached a compromise. The pro-European Clegg would be on the front bench for the statement. But he had to accept Cameron saying that he wanted to ‘refashion our membership of the EU’.

This rather absurd horse-trading is typical of what Cameron has to do when the European issue crops up. He has to try to pull off a coalition and party balancing act. He is leader of an increasingly Eurosceptic party but he is governing with the most Europhile party in British politics.