These 12 tweets from The Times’ political editor explain EXACTLY why EU referendum happened
This series of 12 tweets from a Times journalist explains exactly how and why we got a referendum on EU membership in the UK – a “flippant and careless” moment where David Cameron panicked about the headlines.
Such a monumental change in UK history decided on something so trivial – the mind boggles.
“My story of David Cameron, an ill judged Brussels press conference and how politicians can get boxed into a corner”, writes Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor, The Times.
1.
1. One last personal memory of David Cameron, Europe and me. June 2012, Brussels, Cameron press conference -and @jameskirkup asked a great q
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
2.
2. The Tory party were in full hue and cry by this point mid coalition. 100 MPs wrote to PM demanding a referendum. He didnt want to give it
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
3.
3. Cameron made a misjudged answer to @jameskirkup at the press conference. "The argument (on he EU) is going in our direction" he claimed
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
4.
4. Cameron was at his most flippant and careless in Brussels to @jameskirkup that day. This is what he said. pic.twitter.com/ICfd2U8ntm
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
5.
5. That wasn't the message they wanted to hear back home. The headlines weren't pretty pic.twitter.com/VjDWI401qd
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
6.
6. It was a Saturday and in private the Tories went into meltdown. Number 10 calling round for damage limitation. But it was bad
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
7.
7. Number 10 panicked and changed tack. The next day they offered the chance of a referendum in the Sunday Telegraph pic.twitter.com/Sb60GOMBAh
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
8.
8. The Hague Telegraph article was the very first time a government minister offered referendum & alleged to have been written on a runway
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
9.
9. And so it was done. Referendum genie out of the bottle. Postscript …..
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
10.
10. For months afterwards, David Cameron blamed me in private for "misreporting" his comments that day which triggered the panicked response
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
11.
It was all a bit Andrea Leadsom.
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
12.
And David Cameron continued to misjudge the mood of the country and the nation on Europe.
— Sam Coates Times (@SamCoatesTimes) July 13, 2016
Still, the stuff about Larry the cat was funny wasn’t it?
Proof… pic.twitter.com/UZVXn6WcUw
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) July 13, 2016
