CAMERON BREAKS HIS SILENCE

David Cameron stepped back into the limelight yesterday.  The PM who will go down in history as the most reckless occupant of No 10 up until Boris Johnson, is launching his memoirs: For the Record (William Collins £25) next week and has an exclusive interview with The Times (HERE no £) from which The Telegraph has cobbled together a story (HERE no £).

We don't get a lot of detail since The Times reporter was given just ten hours to skim read an embargoed copy of the book and there are few direct quotes.  Nevertheless, the main headline is as expected, his 'attacks' on Johnson and Gove. I'm afraid we don't learn much that we didn't know before:

"He accuses Mr Johnson of 'sharp practice' in proroguing Parliament and savages his decision to expel rebel Tories, as well as calling Mr Gove 'mendacious'...."

Nobody is going to be surprised to learn both men are mendacious. It would have been headline news around the world if it was being suggested they were not liars. That would have been the real shock.

"Mr Cameron accuses Mr Johnson and Mr Gove of behaving 'appallingly' during the referendum campaign, and claims Mr Johnson only campaigned for Leave for his own career prospects.

" 'Boris had never argued for leaving the EU, right?' he says. 'Michael was a very strong Eurosceptic but someone whom I’d known as this liberal, compassionate, rational Conservative ended up making arguments about Turkey [joining the EU] and being swamped and what have you. They were trashing the government of which they were a part, effectively. It was ridiculous'."

Cameron reveals just how much thought Johnson had given to Brexit by telling us he 'never argued for leaving the EU'. In other words, none. This seems to show a slightly flaky attachment to the cause but in true convert style he would now rather be dead in a ditch than ask for a extension to a totally arbitrary date to avoid a calamitous no-deal exit. The truth is of course he would sooner die in a land drain rather than damage his own career. Britain, the EU and millions of people across the continent, but especially in this country, who will lose out because of a no-deal Brexit do not matter compared to the towering Johnson ego. Let's get our priorities right for heaven's sake.

The book's publication is scheduled for September 19th a week before the Tory party conference in Manchester. But it will be serialised in The Times and The Sunday Times so we should get all the most damaging stuff on Saturday evening when the print editions are reviewed.

Let us hope Cameron gives it to them with both barrels. Cameron's own legacy is already decided. He will be remembered for disastrously giving us and then losing the referendum. Johnson's legacy is being forged now. Cameron teed up the national calamity but Johnson took full advantage of it. He is perhaps beginning to understand what a complete disaster it will be - rumbling on for years and years and years.

He (Johnson) was in Rotherham yesterday where he got a reception he didn't expect. The Liverpool Echo reports that he was heckled, booed and said to have 'walked off to silence'. The idea we are all whippet owning, flat-cap wearing leave voters supping pints of Newcastle Brown Ale and mad for Brexit is starting to wain.

I note the LibDems are to debate changing policy to one of revoking Article 50 without a referendum. This sounds quite a brave move to me but if they win a lot of seats and become part of a coalition it may prove crucial. Labour seem to be moving in that direction as well - albeit very slowly.

Only a short post today since I'm off to Malton to help newly formed Ryedale for Europe with a street stall. Back tomorrow, usual time.