2 Feb 2016

EU deal: do the dissenters remain gagged?

The Prime Minister’s media operation did him good service today. He found himself in Wiltshire when the Speaker would’ve liked him to be speaking to the Commons answering an Urgent Question on the EU draft deal. Instead he’ll do a turn tomorrow giving himself two whole days (actually, three if you include Monday’s coverage) in which he dominates the media with his framing on the EU negotiation.

None of this has escaped the attention of pro-Leave Cabinet ministers. At Cabinet this morning the Leader of the House of Commons, Chris Grayling, itching to join the Leave platform asked if, now that the deal is pretty much done, he was free to speak his mind.

The Prime Minister’s view is that the rules of collective responsibility extend right up to the first Cabinet meeting after the negotiations are finished, as outlined in his letter to Cabinet ministers. So the dissenters remain gagged while he uses the authority of his office to dance across our screens.

Of course, the Cabinet ministers could resign to speak out but none seem too keen on that. It was notable, one round the table pointed out, that only Chris Grayling made the gagging point.

It’s important to remember as you read the deal that David Cameron dropped his hopes of a cap on EU migrants coming to the UK when he was told very firmly by Chancellor Merkel amongst others that it wouldn’t be permitted. He dropped his hopes of an early treaty when it became clear that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

The European Commission made sure it didn’t miss the opportunity to extract some promises from the UK in the process. In future (see below) the EU decrees, non-Eurozone countries “shall refrain” from doing anything that could jeopardise the attainment of EMU.  Who decides when the crime is committed? What is the punishment? It’s not clear.

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David Cameron is said to have been very relaxed about this insertion and happy to reassure the Eurozone countries that he’s not wanting to sabotage their project. But could it stop actions like David Cameron’s blocking of the Fiscal Compact in 2011?

Tonight Theresa May has tiptoed closer to backing the PM saying the draft agreement looks like the basis for a deal. Boris Johnson has continued his political striptease with a call for more concessions. I haven’t heard a single person on the “Leave” side who thinks the Mayor of London will end up on their team.

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