A lot more is needed

Despite omitting any reference to the Lisbon treaty ratification from his New Year message, David Cameron has shared his views on it with The Daily Telegraph. The paper excitedly tells us that he has "given the strongest signal yet that the Conservatives would consider holding a post-ratification referendum", offering the following:

While this Treaty is still being debated and other countries are having referendums or whatever, it is still open for Britain to have a referendum. If we reach circumstances where the whole Treaty has been not only ratified but implemented, that is not a situation we would be content with. We wouldn't let matters rest there.

To be blunt, that is not very much further than the position articulated by William Hague in October, but it does suggest some progress, which we discussed last November.

The Telegraph says that Cameron's remarks "will hearten rank-and-file Tories, angry at what they see as the handing of more powers to Brussels and Labour's broken promise…". That is as maybe, but any positive sentiment is undoubtedly tempered by frustration at the glacial progress.

Cameron is going to have to do a lot more if he is to get the Eurosceptics on side.

COMMENT THREAD