Cameron is betraying the national interest by facing both ways on the EU

It is clear that David Cameron’s so-called deal with Angela Merkel last week was a sham.
 
The Prime Minister claimed to have secured concessions on the Working Time Directive in exchange for agreeing to the German Chancellor’s wish for treaty change. But this deal doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The political spin fails to match the reality.
 
Successive German Chancellors – Helmut Kohl, Gerhard Schroeder and Angela Merkel – have supported the UK in retaining the individual opt-out from the Working Time Directive. Moreover, the European Court of Justice rulings which define on call time as “working time” are also problematic for health workers in Germany.
 
The last British government worked closely with its German counterpart to seek a solution to both these issues.
 
So the German position on the Working Time Directive hasn’t changed one iota. The Prime Minister didn’t achieve anything last Friday apart from a quick headline at home in the hope of appeasing some of his backbenchers.

Cameron has tied himself in knots because he wants to keep his eurosceptic backbenchers happy by telling them that he will be getting something back from Brussels in return for Britain’s agreement to treaty change. But he also wants the UK to have a voice at the top table.
 
It is hardly surprising that our European partners are confused about Britain’s position.
 
In a keynote speech last week, David Cameron stressed that it is in our national interest to be a member of the EU. Although in the same breath, he declared himself a “sceptic” about our membership of what he regards as a “network” rather than a “bloc”. 
He underlined his commitment to bring back powers from Brussels, even though his deputy – Nick Clegg – has called such a move “economic suicide”.
 
The Conservatives have also broken with four decades of British foreign policy by apparently accepting a two speed Europe. And in fact, as Ed Miliband said last month, they seem to be glorying in such a prospect.
 
Being left in the slow lane might sound like a convenient, populist soundbite but it carries the risk that the UK will be frozen out of crucial decisions – such as on the single market – that affect us.

It is clear that the European Union will change irrevocably as a result of the crisis in the eurozone. Britain must be part of that change and be at the forefront of arguing for reform, to make the EU more efficient and more focussed on delivering jobs, growth and prosperity. 
 
Cameron is trying to face both ways on the EU. He should stop trying to placate his eurosceptics with ever larger promises about repatriation. Now is the time to put the national interest before his party’s interests. Our country needs and deserves better leadership.

Emma Reynolds is the Shadow Europe Minister.