Trick and Treaty

David Cameron has been a Conservative long enough to know defeat when he sees it. After years of bribing, cajoling and bullying, the European Union has won. It will soon have the powers it asked for when drawing up its constitution five years ago. It has ignored the ‘no’ votes in France and the Netherlands, renamed the Lisbon Treaty, couched it in language so technocratic that even lawyers cannot bring themselves to read it. Its weapon has been utter brazenness that has staggered even Europhiles like David Miliband. It is not ashamed, in the least, by its abject lack of democratic legitimacy.

So to hold a British referendum on a Treaty that has been passed, as some Tories still advocate, would be the height of petulance and futility. To have a referendum on a negotiating position would be just as pointless: the EU has demonstrated time and time again that it cares not a jot about the votes of the little people.