Courtesy of Mish.
Much like a six-year old kid on a playground lot, UK prime minister David Cameron promised to take his marbles away, if he did not get the steelie he wanted.
On December 4, the Telegraph reported the bluff this way: David Cameron May Campaign for Brexit, Allies Say.
David Cameron has privately conceded he will have to campaign to leave the European Union if he continues to be “completely ignored” by Brussels, the Daily Telegraph has learned.
The Prime Minister has made clear to his closest allies that he will lead the “Out” campaign if he considers the result of his renegotiation with Brussels to be unsuccessful.
Definition of “Unsuccessful”
Of course, for Cameron to actually recommend Brexit, all depends on the definition of “unsuccessful”. His past actions indicate a high threshold for giving as much as it takes to get a deal done.
On December 3, and as a prelude to what I perceive as a Brexit bluff, the Financial Times reported EU Leaders Balk at New Treaty Demands from Cameron.
One EU diplomat privy to the conversation claims that on Sunday, when Mr Cameron told Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister and close ally, of his revised treaty change strategy, Mr Rutte replied: “You cannot be serious, you cannot be serious, you cannot be serious.”
It turns out Cameron was indeed “not serious” on his demands.
If Cameron has to give more than British citizens will allow or less than EU leaders expect, then Cameron inevitably plays the “delay card”.
And so it was. When EU leaders would have no part of plan to limit British welfare payments to migrant workers, Cameron did the only think he could do: punt.
Cameron Punts on Deal
On the same day, to the relief of the Brussels nannycrats, Cameron Gave Up on 2016 Deal With EU.
At a series of meetings this week the British prime minister told EU leaders he had “changed his mind” and now needed immediate treaty revisions enshrining a four-year benefit ban if he was to campaign to keep Britain in the EU.
But his push for a December deal was abandoned on Thursday during a call with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. Downing Street said “difficult issues” remained and that it was unrealistic to think they could all be settled before the meeting on December 17-18….
