Eurosceptics should give Cameron a blank cheque for the right policy on Europe

Today is the day that the future of the Conservative Party and of the United Kingdom will be decided. It may sound slightly dramatic, but it's true. It's a curious fact of history that so often the biggest events and grandest changes both good and bad were caused by the smallest of events and most seemingly insignificant or minor of inspirations. James Watt created the steam engine after watching a kettle, the Iron Curtain began to crumble due to a picnic, Robert the Bruce fought on after watching a spider, and the First World War began after a single shot. The impact of events is impossible to calculate accurately at their contemporary time. Today no bullets will be fired nor any picnics held. Many kettles are likely to be boiled as the details of policy are worked and reworked and reworked again, but they are likely to be electric. We can but hope that Conservative Central Office is suffering an invasion of inspirational Arachnida, because fight on they must. Today we will find out what "not letting matters rest" means. This is the moment when David Cameron decides the future route - towards Europe, or towards independence - and whom he wishes to do battle with - a winnable fight with Brussels, or an unwinnable fight with his own party, and indeed his own country. The EU has now gone too far, there is no getting beyond that. Lisbon cannot be undone. Renegotiation will only be meaningful if it involves the negotiation of some alternative form of membership, an affiliation or alliance perhaps, where we trade freely and can tag-along when we want, back them up when we want, but decide things ourselves but most of all always speak for and represent ourselves. This leads to an enhanced "In/Out" referendum worded correctly, offering the choice between the EU and this suitably possitive "fluffy sounding" trade area slash peace pact - as I discussed in an earlier article - as now being the only option. (A manifesto pledge would be fine also, as it's the ends that matter and not the means, but a referendum might keep the vocal Euro-Nationalist minority a bit more quiet). In return for this, I am without doubt, all Eurosceptics should give Cameron a blank cheque with regards everything else. Modernisation, governance, all women shortlists, even new grammar schools - and I went to one and think they are brilliant - are nothing compared to this. The issue is now so important, so vital, and such a cross roads in our history, that nothing else matters.