Every once in a while Cameron reminds us what a shrewd operator he can be!

Posted 2 May 2013 by Walaa Idris

David Cameron

At first glance, David Cameron promising to legislate for a referendum before 2015 might seem like a knee jerk lurch to the right to combat UKIP’s surge. It’s timing, the sudden change of heart, all spells a face-saving exercise to satisfy the hard right of his party while it also deflects any negative from today’s county council election results.

But if we look closely and put cynicism to one side, we can see that he is actually testing and to some extend trapping both Labour and his coalition partners.

The EU referendum while not a pressing issue in itself, it is nonetheless a very important one.

If we ask people what issues concern them today, a referendum will not feature in anyone’s list of the top three matters they need this government to tackle and sort out. But if we ask the question directly “do you want a referendum” the answers will be an overwhelming yes.

That means there is a genuine appetite amongst the public for a referendum bill.

It also means, by offering a vote before 2015, the PM puts himself and the Tories on the right side of a popular issue. While at the same time he leaves Clegg and Miliband in a compromised position. If they agree with him, they have nothing to fear. But then Cameron is the peoples’ man who listens, reacts and acts to the public’s needs. However, if either man opposes him, come 2015 he will have a lot of explaining to do.

From where I am standing it looks like a win, win.

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