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A Britain We All Call Home > Published by Shamik Das, February 4th 2010 at 5:45 pm

Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown

The controversy over David Cameron’s alliance with Michal Kaminski re-ignited today following an interview in which the Tory leader once again defended the Polish extremist and centre-Right European leaders pledged their support to Gordon Brown.

Michal-Kaminski-angry In an interview with Johann Hari in the Independent, Cameron deployed his usual tactics of denial, evasiveness and anger when questioned about Kaminski, as he’s done every time he’s been confronted with the evidence of Kaminski and his party’s extremism.

Just like his response to Left Foot Forward when asked the same question last month, it appears political expediency trumps conviction, that pacifying the Eurosceptics in his party by signing up to Kaminski’s vision of Europe is all that matters – even at the expense of his own self-styled “liberal, nice, new Tory” credentials.

As Hari points out, the evidence shows that his claim that Kaminski is “not a homophobe” is “wrong – and shockingly so”. Cameron told Left Foot Forward that he “wouldn’t join up with parties that were racist, homophobic or extremist in any way”; he tells Hari that he’s “not allied with parties that have views on homophobia or racism that I think are unacceptable” and on and on…

Hari concludes:

“There are flickers of apparently real pro-gay feeling, but they are soon followed by excuse-making for some of the most anti-gay politicians in Europe. Which is the real Cameron? On this issue, I suspect even he doesn’t know.”

There was further evidence of Cameron’s isolation in Europe this morning with news that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor – both former allies of the Conservatives – will visit Gordon Brown for high-profile talks before the election, seen as “tacit support” of his re-election campaign.

The Prime Minister will also be given a central role at a special committee to discuss the economy in Brussels next Thursday, and the Spanish Premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero – who has already given public backing to Brown – will visit London for the Progressive Governance Conference later this month, which Left Foot Forward will report from.

http://twitter.com/poblishlab/status/8641422331 Andrew Regan

@leftfootfwd "Isolated Cameron defends Kami…": The controversy over David Cameron's alliance with Michal K… http://bit.ly/akbaYW #labour
Anon E Mouse

Shamik – “European leaders rally round Brown”. So what?

I’ll bet you a fiver the “British electorate don’t rally round Brown”…
http://twitter.com/tonyincardiff/status/8642031005 Tony Brown

RT @leftfootfwd: Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown: http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/isolated-cameron-defends-kaminski-again-as-european-leaders-rally-round-brown/ uberVU – social comments

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This post was mentioned on Twitter by bencooper86: RT @leftfootfwd: Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown: http://is.gd/7HsKJ...
http://twitter.com/stoptheright/status/8643284739 StopTheRight

RT @leftfootfwd Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown: http://is.gd/7HsKJ
Mark

I’ve got time for Merkel but having the reactionary Sarkozy supporting you is not something to boast about. Brown wants to watch it, the French leader notoriously annoys Obama and Sarko famously stitched up Britain over the EU jobs.

Above all, it doesn’t say for progressives when the two biggest prominent rightwing leaders of Europe back Brown. Let’s hope Berlusconi doesn’t come out in support, eh?
http://twitter.com/jon2aylor/status/8644035217 Jonathan Taylor

Cameron continues to 'cosy up' with homophobes in Europe http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://twitter.com/lindamarric/status/8644081660 Linda Marric

RT @Jon2aylor: Cameron continues to 'cosy up' with homophobes in Europe http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://twitter.com/blogmum/status/8644102616 Sue Bailey

RT @Jon2aylor: Cameron continues to 'cosy up' with homophobes in Europe http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://twitter.com/mr_andy_c/status/8644178251 Andrew Collingwood

RT @Jon2aylor: Cameron continues to 'cosy up' with homophobes in Europe http://is.gd/7HsKJ
Tom White

The main point of this is that Cameron is utterly two faced when it comes to gay rights, and has to defend Kaminski to appease his right wing, even though the guy is clearly highly unpleasant. Surely pretty undeniable?
http://twitter.com/brumgreens/status/8644406638 Birmingham Greens

RT @Jon2aylor: Cameron continues to 'cosy up' with homophobes in Europe http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://twitter.com/warleyactivist/status/8645756658 Simon Ware

RT @leftfootfwd: Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown: http://is.gd/7HsKJ
http://twitter.com/grovesred/status/8654605546 Frank Ormston

RT @leftfootfwd: Isolated Cameron defends Kaminski (again) as European leaders rally round Brown: http://is.gd/7HsKJ
Anon E Mouse

Mark – Brown’s gone by June latest – he’s old news and the best electoral asset the Tories have. As useless as Cameron is, Brown is in a different league of incompetence.

Tom – Alan Duncan?
David Jones

Mark,

then what does it say about the next conservative government, from a progressive point of view, if EVEN rightwing leaders shun them?

Anon E Mouse,

Actually these foreign policy blunders, before even being in government mind you, point to heretofor undreamed of levels of uselessness…
Tom White

Anon E Mouse: what does Alan Duncan prove? Or indeed Nick Herbert? Having some token gay guys on your front bench is no substitute for disowning real bigots – or indeed voting positively to support gay rights.
Anon E Mouse

Tom – Shouldn’t everyone just be treated equally irrespective of their sexual preference?

As for bigoted opinions, providing no one is inciting hatred, surely people are entitled to their own views.

Or do you believe the state should control peoples thoughts Tom?

If you do you should be a New Labour voter…
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/now-business-says-camerons-kaminski-alliance-is-damaging-britains-influence/ Now business says Cameron’s Kaminski alliance is damaging Britain’s influence | Left Foot Forward

[...] this month, Left Foot Forward reported further evidence of the Conservative party’s waning influence in Europe, when it was [...]