President Obama, hugely popular in the UK, has not hidden behind impartiality nor minced his words. The vote is for the British people, but here is what I think is his message. Moreover he drives in hard. As president of the US he has a right to state America’s preference over what happens in Europe, because when it screws up America has to ride to the rescue, testified by thousands of US graves far from home. Britain in Europe reassures America that the fabric of unity will hold.
So a delighted Cameron beams as the President pours scorn on the ease with which Leave claim to be able to fix a trade deal with the US. ‘Back of the queue’ and ‘five to ten years’ are among the phrases deliberately used in high profile media events. Hilary weighs in across the Atlantic and says Britain should stay put. Boris goes berserk. He completely loses it and starts to say the most stupid things you can imagine and hurling nasty, almost racist insults. Talk about throwing toys from the pram. Woweee!
Leave have only themselves to blame. They have been preparing for this for over thirty years and they have nothing concrete to offer at all. They are either stupid or lazy or lack judgement or all three. They should have been having talks in Washington, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, Delhi, Canberra, Ottawa and all over, meticulously fleshing out a programme and a direction of travel. But no, too much effort. Well now it is all coming out. There is nothing on offer but faith in a bunch of zealots, harking back to a world no longer there, hoping that things will turn out okay. Of course there may be a reason for this. They may be quite canny. They know there will lose so why bother.
So as the week ends Cameron is rescued from the nadir in his fortunes the week before, Boris has fallen off his perch and been revealed not as a majestic bird of prey but a rather noisy rooster without any hens and Obama today sets off for Germany and Angela. Just to rub it in if you have not been listening.