27/10/2015
In a style that is typical of the legacy media, Tom Newton Dunn, Political Editor for
The Sun claims an "exclusive" for a story we did
on Saturday and which had had then been run by
Peter Oborne the following day".
The thrust, despite the claimed "exclusivity", is entirely familiar to readers of this blog. David Cameron, we are told, is looking at rebranding his new deal for Britain in the EU as "associate membership". And this, we are led to believe, "is a bid to save his flagging renegotiation", because he "fears his current demands from Brussels may not be enough alone to convince voters to stay at a landmark referendum".
To sell the offer, "No10 aides are instead looking at formally downgrading the UK's membership to second or outer tier which would leave Britain free of further meddling". And, according to the great Newton Dunn, despite us having had it on our radar since 2013, this was "initially proposed by some Downing Street advisers in June and dismissed by Mr Cameron".
But now, the brilliant
Sun "can reveal" what has been known to this blog and its readers for many months, that "it is now being looked at afresh in a bid to regain the momentum".
The thing about Newton Dunn was that, even as a defence correspondent, he was making up stories. Nothing else has changed. We've been reading the runes for years, painstakingly building up a picture, but now the great hack leaps in with half a story and makes a meal of it. That's the legacy media for you.
Nevertheless, the story is truly out of the bag. Mr Cameron's "associate membership" is in the public domain. The target is in sight and there is no "plan B". If we take this apart and, Cummings notwithstanding, offer our own vision and exit plan, we're on our way to winning.
The only things that can stop us now are the "leave" campaigns .
