Can Cameronism be Europeanised?
Daniel Korski 6:04pm
In 1997 New Labour was not just a domestic programme; it was a foreign policy too. Known
as the "Neue Mitte" in Germany, Blair's Third Way soon attracted such converts as the German chancellor, the French prime minister and the Danish leader. In the end, it produced few
results for Britain, failing – much as Harold Wilson did in the 1970s – to curry favour for the UK through party political links with other leaders. But for a few years, much as New
Labour looked across the Atlantic to the Democratic Party, so Europe's Social Democrats looked across The Channel.
International recognition for his deficit reduction plan notwithstanding, David Cameron has no such effect so far. But some have been swayed by his domestic agenda. Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister, Tibor Navracsics, has taken to the Big Society, and is looking for ways to bring it to his country. Chatting to him during a visit to London, he told me that he sees a merger of Conservatism and Christian Democratric ideas in Europe, with Cameronism emerging as a model in the process. Our Prime Minister's emphasis on "families, broken societies and communities" ought to be, Navracsics says, a lodestar for European centre-right leaders. This endorsement is not quite the New Labour-Neue Mitte link, but it is something on which to build.
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Dan Grover
June 29th, 2011 6:15pm Report this commentNow he's got the heavy-hitting Hungarian deputy Prime Minister on board, there'll be no stopping the movement!
denis cooper
June 29th, 2011 6:52pm Report this commentSo are we now supposed to believe that there's some coherent body of thought which can be distinguished as "Cameronism"?
If so, it certainly doesn't involve any element of loyalty to his own country and its people.
Mirtha Tidville
June 29th, 2011 6:54pm Report this comment``Can Cameron be Europeanised``
I thought he already was
Rhoda Klapp
June 29th, 2011 7:07pm Report this commentBlimey. I'll swear he does it on purpose. Korski, not Cameron. Although probably him too.
Andrew
June 29th, 2011 7:14pm Report this commentwell with Hungary on board, the world is virtually conquered!
Sacre Bleu
June 29th, 2011 7:36pm Report this commentFirst we had 'Thatcherism', certainly a different style of her own and probably justified the name. The press reaction to New Labour had to be the creation of 'Blairism'. Never really understood what it was meant to be or why the need for a name and as for Cameronism, it may be only a year but would appear to be a myth and at current rate of progress, never likely to be anything else.
TrevorsDen
June 29th, 2011 8:08pm Report this commentYes Mr Bleu - most isms are what the observer wishes them to be.
Harold Wilson believed in 'pragmatism' - it did not serve him too badly.
The main ism to avoid is unionism - something which the Labour party are paid to represent.
Hexhamgeezer
June 29th, 2011 8:12pm Report this commentCameron doesnt spend a penny, he euronates.
Scary Biscuits
June 29th, 2011 8:14pm Report this commentSacre Blue, as far as I can fathom, the definition of Cameroonism is a personal loyalty to the leader and a determination to get elected on whatever platform seems the most opportune.
As Mirtha says, that's already very European.
oldtimer
June 29th, 2011 8:21pm Report this commentI confess I am unable to define what "Cameronism" amounts to, if anything. And even if I was able, it is not obvious to me why anyone would want to EEuropeanise" it.
On the other hand the evidence is mounting by the day that Cameron himself has been "Europeanised". It is not to our advantage.
Verity
June 29th, 2011 9:34pm Report this commentDan Grover, you're right! With the deputy Hungarian PM already board, it's it's going to be "Katy-bar-the-door"!
Cynic
June 29th, 2011 10:50pm Report this commentNeue Mitte? All I've got to say to that is ab durch die Mitte! (off you go). Cameron is already too Europeanised. We need to have him Britishised at the very least, preferably Anglicised.
Baron
June 29th, 2011 10:59pm Report this commentCan Camerosnism be Europeanised, asks Daniel.
The short answer is no, one cannot eanised a vacuous substance that has no shelf life.
Frank P
June 30th, 2011 1:25am Report this commentHehamgeezer
"Cameron doesn't spend a penny, he euronates."
Very, very good!
Ruby Duck
June 30th, 2011 3:03am Report this commentWell I suppose Cameronism is essentially indvidual responsibility, although he does have a funny way of showing it. You have to remember that he has to pander to the BBC.
Never did understand Blair's Third way. I suspect it was a case of making sure nothing was simple enough to avoid the involvement of lawyers.
Cameron is never going to be as inspirational as Thatcher. That's not his job. You wouldn't criticise a vicar for not being God.
Vulture
June 30th, 2011 8:48am Report this commentWhen our rulers talk of 'Europe' what they mean is a few hundred - OK a few thousand counting the civil servants - overpaid politicians and their bag carriers jetting from summit to summit, piling up the salaries and pension plans making sweeping decisions, and urinating vast sums of other people's gold over our heads without our having any say in the matter.
In this post-democratic(hattip: Lord Mandelslime, a typical new 'European') set-up Dave fits in very well. The ideology of Cameronism is merely to perpetuate him and his pals in power without any reason for as long as possible. Sans form, sans ideas, sans all principles save power, that's our Dave.
Perry
June 30th, 2011 9:14am Report this commentCameronism, Big Society, Thrid Way, Bliarism, an End to Boom and Bust, The Right Thing To Do
These and many other such vacuous nebulosities are meaningless, always have been meaningless, and always will be meaningless, - without substance, foundation, or any tangible result.
The tragedy if that the present U-turning encumbrance in No 10, is, like his immediate predecessors, useless , - a threat to the national interest, and, apart (so far) from the absence of the stupid grin, rapidly becoming like them.
G*d help us who have to endure this. They without doubt, will help themselves, - or already have.
Andy Carpark
June 30th, 2011 11:35am Report this commentActually, this ties in with the longest Turkish word, or at least a word long enough to illustrate the principle of suffixation.
Some of the orthography will probably get murdered in transmission, but anyway ...
avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan mısınız? = Are you one of those whom we could not Europeanise?
Kemiksizli Dave avrupalılaştıramadıklarımızdan mı? = Is Boneless Dave one of those whom we could not Europeanise?
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