David Cameron sounded nervous as he started reading out today's speech despite it being (or because it was) so long coming.
The Prime Minister was wearing his imperial purple tie, which he always puts on to look extra important. He even name-checked Julius Caesar for the Roman’s early version of “ever closer union”.
Finally, the jinxed Europe speech had arrived. The venue was Bloomberg’s European HQ in the City — a garish array of neon staircases, gaudy lamps and underfloor TV screens, resembling the sort of Nineties East Berlin nightclub where compulsory champagne starts at €100 a bottle. It makes one wonder what Mike Bloomberg’s bedroom looks like.
In the audience were an array of unsmiling diplomats and the kind of business leaders who pay PR men to get them on the Today show. But it was worth the wait. Despite all the pre-briefing, when Cameron declared “we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice”, you could have heard a pin drop.
The airwaves came alive with delighted Tory Eurosceptics, and worried Labour figures wondering how Ed Miliband can avoid being ripped apart if he fudges Labour’s position after this. Answering questions from the Evening Standard, Cameron made clear that this will be a deal-breaker if Nick Clegg’s party wants another coalition.
However, the PM blatantly dodged the question of what will happen if EU leaders refuse to abide by his deadline of 2017. Would he campaign for an “out” vote? “I’m an optimist,” was Sunshine Dave’s opaque reply.
“You will not always get what you want,” admitted Cameron. But as the guru Jagger might reply, if you try real hard, you can get what you need.
For once the over-used adjective “historic” really did apply. A fundamental dynamic in British politics changed today.
