Extracts from Cowardly Cameron's cancelled EU speech

Conservative Home has extracts from Cowardly Cameron's cancelled EU speech.  They can be summed up in one word: weak.

Every time someone votes for UKIP a puppy dies

I want Britain to stay in Europe… “I come here as British Prime Minister with a positive vision for the future of the European Union. A future in which Britain wants, and should want, to play a committed and active part.”

Britain doesn't want to play a part in the European Union.  Most people want to leave.

…but Europe must change. “I want to speak to you today with urgency and frankness about the European Union and how it must change – both to deliver prosperity and to retain the support of its peoples.”

It's the EU, not Europe.  The EU won't change for the better, it will continue to diverge at an alarming rate from the national interests of all member states (apart from Germany of course) and especially ours.

Yes, it really must change. “More of the same will not secure a long-term future for the eurozone. More of the same will not see the European Union keeping pace with the new powerhouse economies. More of the same will not bring the European Union any closer to its citizens. More of the same will just produce more of the same – less competitiveness, less growth, fewer jobs. And that will make our countries weaker, not stronger.”

The EU is an anti-competitive, protectionist, despotic state.  It will never compete with emerging economies because it is insular and above all a political project, not a trade one.

The three challenges facing Europe. “There are always voices saying, ‘Don’t ask the difficult questions’. But it’s essential for Europe – and for Britain – that we do because there are three major challenges confronting us today. … First, the problems in the eurozone are driving fundamental change in Europe. Second, there is a crisis of European competitiveness, as other nations across the world soar ahead. And third, there is a gap between the EU and its citizens which has grown dramatically in recent years and which represents a lack of democratic accountability and consent that is – yes – felt particularly acutely in Britain.”

He means the EU, not Europe.  The collapse of the €uro is driving change the wrong way - towards full fiscal and political union which is a disaster for democracy.

Britain could leave if these challenges aren’t overcome. “If we don't address these challenges, the danger is that Europe will fail and the British people will drift towards the exit,”

Europe can't fail, it's a huge landmass.  The EU will fail though and if we don't get out in time we will get dragged down with it.

Although, again, I don’t want that. “I want the European Union to be a success and I want a relationship between Britain and the EU that keeps us in it.”

Yes Dave, we know you're a committed europhile and will do whatever it takes to make sure we stay in.

And more on the democratic challenge. “There is a growing frustration that the EU is seen as something that is done to people rather than acting on their behalf, and this is being intensified by the very solutions required to resolve the economic problems … People are increasingly frustrated that decisions taken further and further away from them mean their living standards are slashed through enforced austerity or their taxes are used to bail out governments on the other side of the continent.”

It's all part of the plan Dave, all of it.  As expected, Cameron has committed himself to our continued membership of the EU and once again thrown away the only bargaining chip we have.  Conspicuous in its absence from this europhile drivel are details of his pinky promise in/in referendum.  Eurosceptic Tories will be bitterly disappointed at what was evidently going to be a fawning, pro-EU speech.  Confirming the worst kept secret - that the EU referendum won't have an "out" option or will at least contain two "in" options to dilute the "out" vote - would tip huge numbers of them over the edge.