Anthony Barnett (London, OK): As Catherine Reilly continues her terrific series of posts on Irish opinion in the run-up to their Irish referendum, the Sun reports the sad fate of the British political class. David Cameron says voters may not like it but they will have to lump it.
Mr Cameron admitted it would be "almost impossible" to have a referendum if it was already law in the UK and the rest of the EU.
He told an audience in Harlow, Essex: "We may have to say, well look, we’re not happy with this situation, here are some of the powers we’d like to have back.
"But we can’t give you that referendum on the Lisbon Treaty because it’s already been put in place across the rest of Europe."
I think this is a very significant admission, one that will be made all the more humiliating if the Irish vote "No" and put the whole process back into the pot. For everyone understand that this was Tory strategy all along - to trade on opposition knowing it would be futile. The alternative being simple, popular but as unspeakable as supporting an English parliament, namely having a referendum on whether we should stay in or not.
I am a strong advocate of mixing it as a European country and I think the EU needs, if I may say so, the best of 'the English spirit'. Let's get in there, accept the Euro and enjoy it! But if opinion is so hostile to this and finds being European rebarbarative, then let's get out and enjoy that! What I find unbearable is the dominant attitude of both major parties, that, sigh, "we are not happy", we wish we did not have to be where we are, we are doing our best to stop Europe being so damn European and having one more scheme after another, we will drag our heels, but there is no alternative, etc.
I think this position is deeply demoralising and poisons the whole of our politics.
