Cameron's dilemma

The focus of attention is shifting to how David Cameron will play his cards (insignificant as they are) at the forthcoming EU summit.  Not being in the eurozone makes the UK a peripheral player in sorting out the wreckage, nevertheless the impact of changes made to the governance of the eurozone will impact heavily.  The eurozone 'bloc' will be able to outvote the ten nations not in the zone. The risk is not only of a two-tier EU, but one in which the seventeen eurozone countries can act in concert against the non-eurozone members.  We could however finish up with even more tiers as I have argued before on this blob. See *

Cameron is also faced with the problem of the Eurosceptics in the Conservative Party clamouring for repatriation of powers or even outright withdrawal from the EU.  He has been bruised by the 81 Conservative MPs who rebelled against a three-line whip after the EU referendum debate and by the behaviour of Mr Clegg, the Deputy Prime-Minister who has conveniently forgotten the Liberal Democrat pledge on a referendum made before the last general election. 

Demands for a referendum are becoming more strident and more serious for Cameron. Ian Duncan Smith, regarded by many in the Conservative Party as one of the most successful ministers in the Coalition government, has added his voice to the clamour for a referendum.  He has form as an opponent of EU integration, witness his opposition to the Maastricht Treaty. 

Ever since the fateful decision of Edward Heath to take the UK into what is now the EU, 'Europe' has been a divisive influence within the Conservative Party.  In recent years many Conservatives have decamped to the United Kingdom Independence Party.  Although UKIP has had no success at Westminster elections, it influenced the result of the 2010 general election to the extent that in some seats Conservatives failed to win, thereby thwarting an overall majority for Cameron.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8933481/Poll-boost-for-David-Cameron-ahead-of-EU-showdown.html

* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/8932819/The-UK-must-stand-up-against-Brussels.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8933773/Eurozone-crisis-The-changes-ahead-need-the-will-of-the-people.html

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetorydiary/2011/12/vote-for-an-eu-referendum-and-youll-plunge-britains-economy-into-chaos.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jameskirkup/100121561/iain-duncan-smith-on-david-cameron-treaty-change-and-a-european-referendum/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8934746/Iain-Duncan-Smith-calls-for-referendum-on-European-fiscal-union.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8935685/Downing-St-insists-there-will-be-no-EU-referendum-despite-Iain-Duncan-Smiths-demands.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/8934867/David-Cameron-needs-to-keep-his-word-on-EU-reform.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100121605/euro-crisis-why-david-cameron-should-take-the-german-threat-seriously/

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jameskirkup/100121724/a-eurozone-treaty-and-the-merkozy-challenge-to-britain-in-or-out-mr-cameron/

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,801756,00.html   UK obstructing EU foreign policy.