David Cameron has stolen a further march on the government by heading out to Georgia before either the Foreign Secretary, who is going next week, or the Prime Minister. With Russian troops only 15 miles from Tbilisi, the Georgian government is keen for any signs of international solidarity and so Cameron can be assured of a warm reception. He will be there at the same time as a host of key players on the world stage—Condi Rice is in Tbilisi at the moment and several European leaders are expected there over the weekend—and his presence will highlight just how MIA Britain has been during the crisis to date. Amazingly, Miliband has yet to meet with the Georgian Ambassador to London.
The trip furthers the impression of Cameron as the Prime Minister in waiting. As Iain Martin noted on Thursday, Cameron is filling the gap that the dysfunctional relationship between the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary has created.
Many, including myself, have fretted that Tory foreign policy under William Hague has become too cautious. But Cameron’s bold positions on Burma and now on Georgia suggest that Cameron is developing the kind of foreign policy instincts that will serve him well as Prime Minister and that he is not afraid to override the objections of those whose default position is to do as little as possible.
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