From Chamberlain to Churchill to Blimp
Francis Sedgemore, Friday 9 December 2011 at 11:00 UTC
It was only yesterday that British prime minister David Cameron was likened by one of his own parliamentary backbenchers to Neville Chamberlain, with the two-headed Merkozy creature cast in the role of Adolf Hitler. Offensive, everyone cried, including those who secretly shared this view of a man they regard as spineless as well as chinless.
So off trots Call me Dave to Brussels, to show us how strong he really is in standing up for England’s interests on the European stage. In the early hours of this morning, Cameron vetoes a proposal for EU treaty change, thereby prompting the online trolls of this Blessed Albion to sing his praises. “Good on ya, Dave!”, they wibble as one, but this sentiment isn’t echoed by the editorial writers of the right wing press, who are just about bright enough to realise that Cameron’s actions leave Britain “isolated” on the international stage.
Will Mr Cameron tomorrow turn into Colonel Blimp? Possibly, but few will care. In the real world beyond this increasingly paranoid island fortress, politicians and commentators seem satisfied with the outcome of the EU summit last night. Only the irrelevant are on the UK side, with a couple of other member states holding back until parliamentary debates have been conducted. Of the undecided with which I am familiar, Denmark will surely go with the flow.
Contrary to the French president’s hyperbole, Europe will not explode, and neither will the Euro. A two-speed Europe seems likely, but the slow lane will be largely empty. More fools us.
Feed the writer! 
Friday 9 December 2011 at 12:04 UTC
Gad sir, Mr Cameron is right! Why get involved in organising the crisis in Europe when we can organise a perfectly good crisis at home?
Friday 9 December 2011 at 12:08 UTC
Kellie, didn’t I warn you what would happen if you continued reading the Daily Express?
For helvede man, flyt tilbage til Danmark før det er for sent!
Friday 9 December 2011 at 12:28 UTC
I only re-read my very old yellowing copies for the Giles cartoons, honest!
Og jeg har ikke penge til fly billeten!
Friday 9 December 2011 at 13:08 UTC
Giles? As a child, through to my mid-teens, I used to get the Giles annual as a Christmas present, and had a love-hate relationship with the cartoons. These days the taste is for in-yer-face political satire, and the minutely detailed social observation of Giles and his like is sadly out of fashion. But then I often found Giles profoundly depressing, as his cartoons epitomised much that was wretched about late 20th century Britain, with little that was loveable.
Friday 9 December 2011 at 17:44 UTC
I’m not a fan of the EU, but this has been fatally mishandled by the Tory eurosceptic ratpack. In whose interests do they act? We hardly need to ask. See this take at neueurope:
http://www.neurope.eu/article/after-30-years-city-london-loses-brussels
Could this day also live in infamy? Maybe Cameron really is the new Chamberlain, only inverted …
Friday 9 December 2011 at 18:01 UTC
Absolutely! This was a staggering miscalculation on Call me Dave‘s part. The Tories are going to drag us all to hell in a handbasket. One that isn’t Made in Britain.
Monday 26 December 2011 at 21:20 UTC
Francis, Out of curiosity what was your position on the entry of the UK to the Euro back when…?
Monday 26 December 2011 at 21:32 UTC
My opinion on the matter is worth diddly squit. But, since you ask, the UK should have made the required structural adjustments and joined the euro right from the start.
Tuesday 27 December 2011 at 04:01 UTC
I am very late in finding you the appropriate Blimp cartoon. I apologise!
http://airforceamazons.blogspot.com/2011/12/blimp-and-city.html
Tuesday 27 December 2011 at 10:18 UTC
Cheers, Kellie.