It was the kind of speech one should expect from a privileged individual, who has been brought up with a sense of entitlement to rule.
Cameron has a misplaced belief that in spite of all evidence he alone can change a decades-old destination; while leaving intact the structures built to enable its eventual arrival, ignoring reality and insisting that political union is desireable can be made to be democratic and be achieved while leaving nations states in charge of their own affairs.
This was less David William Donald Cameron, more Hans Christian Andersen. But no one who has paid any attention to this man’s approach and behaviour will have been surprised.
We cannot do justice to the response needed to David Cameron’s speech and tackle points that need to be rebutted with an immediate blog post. So a considered and detailed response will be forthcoming in the coming days – drawing upon evidence Cameron simply refuses to acknowledge.
The die has been cast and it is what we expected. Everything is being put together in a way that maintains the status quo. We now have the time to counter Cameron’s assertions and whimscal ideas with hard fact, and time to share it with people acriss the UK who perhaps feel there is more to all this than meets the eye. They are right. The clarity they are seeking will be published soon.
Autonomous Mind 
Do you have a link to a transcript of Camorons speech?
“Four reasons why Cameron’s In/Out pledge could be very good news for Conservative chances at the next election”
Reason 1. 1F.
Reason 2. IF
Reason 3. IF
Reason 4. IF
I rest the faux Conservative case.
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2012/12/Prime_Ministers_Speech_on_Europe.aspx
Thanks AM
Cameron goes to Brussels in a couple of weeks. The response of his “partners” will show just how hollow his promises are. The Commission will not give up one iota of power. They will throw the UK out first. Perhaps that is what he’ banking on that, or the collapse of the whole damned edifice. Here’s hoping.
It appears from Cameron’s speech the Conservative party have been on Mars for the past 35 years. Having returned to Earth they find all these terrible things that have happened to their Country in their absence.
Well now they are back on Earth and in the real world they should make a comprehensive list of those items they want repatriated, and debate them in parliament so the British public can see their starting point in negotiations, only then will we see if Dave has done a good job before the Conservative Party is sent back to Mars.
The Commentator has a piece on The Speech entitled, “Cameron: ‘in Europe but not run by Europe’”. Amazingly, it’s not satire. At least, I don’t think it is. It’s hard to tell.
Just a total sense of underwhelmingness.
I’ve always thought that Cameron can only think on timescales of the average press release. In this instance, Cameron knows that the Tories will not get a majority and he, in particular, will be out of a job, come 2015. The only solution is to try and shut down the EU divisions, close off the UKIP threat and put his name on a key policy (the Big Society is his only contribution so far).
Success in his terms will be if UKIP keep quiet and stay out of marginal Tory constituencies, Cameron wins the election and negotiates a couple of minor improvements that give him the basis of running and winning a campaign for Yes at the referendum. I’ll look forward to that happening!