Cameron must not let Clegg disembowel the veto

By Tim Montgomerie
_{Follow Tim on Twitter}

One of the criticisms of Cameron's veto is that he hasn't stopped other EU states from going ahead with their plans. What he did stop, however, was those countries using EU institutions to pursue those plans. But if Roland Watson's page one story in today's Times (£) is to be believed the Prime Minister is considering allowing the 17plus group to use EU institutions - partly to appease Nick Clegg. If this is true then the veto really will have been a meaningless stunt. I'm told that Downing Street cannot yet quash The Times' story because the veto has put the EU in uncharted legal waters.

The bottom line, however, is that if EU institutions are to be used then France will have got exactly what it wanted and Tory demands for a referendum will grow again.

2.30pm Andrew Lilico: Don't buckle yet, Mr Cameron!