Turning the other cheek

DAVID Cameron is a true gentleman. How else can one describe a man who is able to speak of “valued colleagues”, towards whom he feels “no bad blood, no rancour, no bitterness”, when referring to Conservative backbenchers who on Monday evening delivered the biggest revolt against a prime minister in recent memory?

I am sure that there were some Conservative backbenchers who ignored the three line whip out of deep conviction and loyalty to their constituents. But I think it is also true that a good number of the seventy or so rebels were using the vote on a European referendum to express their deep personal dissatisfaction with Mr Cameron's leadership of the party and government. Some of the voices I heard in the debate came very close to snarling at Mr Cameron.

Phillip Hollobone shouted “Shame on you” and the very young Jacob Rees-Mogg advised him to “stiffen your sinews, summon up the blood and imitate the action of a tiger.”

One irritant to the rebel backbenchers was Mr Cameron's reference to being “firmly committed to bringing back more powers from Brussels” when recent briefings have referred only to “resisting any new transfer of powers to Brussels.” Later, Downing Street explained that Mr Cameron had been speaking as leader of the Conservative Party -- the implication being that the stronger approach is prevented by the coalition agreement.