Both America and Great Britain are divided and unhappy.
Boris and Trump are incapable of bringing their divided countries together.
Neither seem to realize the division takes precedence for the wellness of their countries instead of concentrating on themselves and their own agendas.
Both countries will probably get worse before they get better.
59
@Michael Kittle
I'm not sure they are as incapable as they are uninterested.
6
What self serving bunk. David Cameron made a wildly risky bet that he could convince the UK electorate that Brexit wasn’t a good idea. In so doing he unleashed powers that he didn’t understand with no thought given to the significant consequences for the UK.
We are now seeing the emergence of violence in Northern Ireland that is a harbinger of the return of The Troubles. All driven by a politician who thought the referendum would be a self-serving affirmation.
Cameron deserves the scorn he has earned.
102
Not only this all, but actually no one speaks about the enourmous expenses the whole Brexit tragedy has caused and will continue to do so. How many people have been working on the topic, for the topic and against it? All the legal negotiations, everything. Whatever they lied about saving money after Brexit, they have spent much much more in this process, and it is not over yet.
32
If David Cameron hopes to be remembered for more than Brexit, he is kidding himself. He will be remembered for nothing other than the Brexit catastrophe, which he foolishly and opportunistically pushed his country headlong into. He will go down in history as the worst and most destructive Prime Minister in modern British history; maybe the whole of British history.
117
@Alan Worst in British history?
how about prime minister Neville Chamberlain (responsible for trying to appease Hitler which resulted in inadequate preparation for WWII), or Lord North, whose polices led to 30,000 dead during the American war of Independence.
22
@Peter Piper
Those two prime ministers made mistakes in and around wartime, when facing enemies and threats (so did Churchill, who trusted Stalin). Most people forget how little appetite the British had for conflict after WWI. They weren't alone in that, either.
Cameron, on the other hand, plunged Britain into crisis with its allies during relative peacetime.
12
@Alan: I almost agree with you. But as long as Boris Johnson stays in power, he may yet one-up Cameron, just as Trump one-upped GW Bush, who was in a dead-heat with Warren Harding as the worst US President ever.
8
All of these upper echelon wealthy elite groups come to believe their own superiority and know best attitude. Whether they make decisions based on financial gain, extension of powers, or some supposedly superior vision, they seem to give little thought to the impact and chaos it causes to the majority of people who don't have the means to ride out tsunamis. Then when held accountable make their entertainment apology book tour, but always somehow coming across a victim too. The real question is what is Cameron doing to right his wrongs?
118
Another Eton-and-Oxford educated politician who has no clue and now wants to make money selling a book. He finds it fascinating to watch the stable genius who claims that he went to the best schools. Fascinating, really? Neither Cameron, Johnson nor the stable genius have any understanding of the mess they have or are creating for the UK and the US. I doubt very much that their lives will be affected negatively when the results of their actions come to fruition.
3
My partner wants me to go to the Downton Abbey movie. A fantasy trip that idealizes the lives of the awful Tory class. I'll pass
thanks...mowing the lawn will be a healthier-happier alternative. The smug assumptions of this merry band of pirates would be more than I could endure.
2
Such a sad spectacle. Brexit was basically the result of chivalrous dare among a tight knit clique of Old Boy Etonian chums. A lark that spun wildly out of control. They no longer are such close chums and don’t attend each other’s cocktail parties. But that is nothing compared to Great Britain being brought to its knees. The government is expecting and preparing for food riots, and is actively stocking up on medicine and other essentials.
2
What has me mystified is why the British people continue to elect to office a party that is composed of twits like Cameron...who led to Brexit...or Johnson...who very well may lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom.
2
World's tiniest violin.
3
I couldn't care less about this man. Next please!
2
They feel so superior to the rest of the people, these upper class English men...
1
Revoke Article 50
Just get rid of it and then....walk away!
"While Boris cared about this issue, it was secondary to another concern: what was the best outcome for him?"
I'm sorry, to hear Cameron asking that about Johnson is classic pot and kettle. David Cameron called that vote not because he really really wanted to give the people a voice, but because he thought it would help him neuter UKIP in an election and help his party, and thought he wouldn't have to follow through because he'd be in coalition with the Lib Dems who would refuse to allow a referendum. He told as much to the EU leaders and they've since done interviews with the BBC about it. He was shocked when he won outright and then had to carry through with the referendum promise.
After the vote, he wasn't silent either. He went to the US giving speeches for thousands of dollars a pop, telling his audiences just how deeply he believed a referendum had been needed. And now he's selling a book off it. So after the vote he has essentially made a new career from lying about what he did. He basically threw the country in the fire and then went around selling tickets to watch it burn.
3
“I loved being Prime Minister”. All these people loving to be something but lacking the acumen to anticipate the consequences of their actions. The world has to bring back the old-fashioned notion of being qualified.
9
Brexit was run as a referendum on immigration. People seem to forget that.
5
I’m so sorry....now please buy my book....
5
Cameron as the prime minister was a poser. No one in the UK needed or pleaded for the Brexit vote. Brexit was the singular handiwork of David Cameron, avaricious, shameless politician and his needy Tories. He reaps what he sows.
7
Dear former Prime Minister Cameron,
Your name will go alongside Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as one of the most inept leaders British history. You're sorry? Gee, that means so much given the turmoil you created by calling for that referendum in 2016. You saying "I'm sorry" has the same effect as when I said "I'm sorry" to my high school baseball coach after an error I committed allowed the winning run to score. As I cried, he simply said "son, sorry don't feed the bulldog."
4
Oh my god, 700 pages!! The truth is there is only one story about Cameron that anyone cares about (other than his wife) and that is that he called the Brexit referendum because it was the politically expedient thing to do at the time. He is the Neville Chamberlain of the 21st century. Bring on Sir Winston and Maggie Thatcher!!
5
David Cameron was right and didn't know it. every European wants the UK out since day one: "The UK's applications to join in 1963 and 1967 were vetoed by the President of France, Charles de Gaulle, who said that "a number of aspects of Britain's economy, from working practices to agriculture" had "made Britain incompatible with Europe" and that Britain harboured a "deep-seated hostility" to any pan-European project." http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/27/newsid_4187000/4187714.stm .
de Gaulle was so right, again.
the UK has been a drag for decades. Europe needs them out to move forward. they never should have been part of Europe.
finally they will go. hopefully the first consequence will be Ireland's reunification.
we will drink our best champagne on the 31st of October!
3
EU is better off without UK. UK never really knew what they wanted anyways. Let them deal with Northern Ireland and Scotland.
4
That he dares to show his face in public shows more courage than his referendum for Brexit did. He put party above country, and now he asks for pity. And pity is what he gets.
2
he should be sorry there ever was a referendum in the first place. representative democracy depends on Democratic institutions making important decisions. holding a referendum on brexit was an abdication of responsibility. cowardly and wrong
6
Whatever. Really unrepentant & wants to sell a book. It’s okay for Great Britain to invade & force their way of life on others but not sharing rule with others. Brexit has been a goal of Tories. Glad to see Liberal Democrats gaining. Good luck Britain, think twice about relying on Trump.
5
Just go away, Mr Cameron. You’re responsible for this mess.
5
What a joke. Is this supposed to be an apology tour? Please, do cut it short.
"I’m a terrible doubter and worrier and niggler, and I think back on the decision over and over,” he continued.
Well, no. If he was any of those things, he wouldn't have decided to hold a Brexit referendum for the sole benefit of his party, while eating pizza in an airport.
9
Cameron does NOT regret the referendum, and does NOT regret austerity. Only the consequences... Hm. Is he serious?
7
Eton-Oxford; Eton-Oxford; Eton-Oxford. Call it what it is: Privileged, self-serving mediocrity, morphing into self-serving incompetence, writ large.
12
The apotheosis of insignificance.
2
Mr. Cameron is indeed sorry - a very sorry excuse for a prime minister.
And, if he really is sorry for what he did to his country with his Brexit referendum, what is he doing to mend the damage he caused? Writing a memoir is just more self-serving poppycock - how about some clear words on Boris Johnson's actions that are wrecking hundreds of years of parliamentary tradition in Britain.
11
“'I hope people will say he modernized the Conservative Party,' Mr. Cameron said, ticking off a checklist." Then Cameron says, “You know, I mean, he drives me crazy. But it is fascinating to watch.”
This is the product of the Downton Abbey generation, Cameron's grandparents. Too bad the staff had few children.
5
He should be .. He could of required 60% threshold for the vote to pass. A 50% vote for a major change like Brexit was irresponsible.
9
There’s nothing to say about Cameron except he worked his privilege, his incuriosity, his smugness, and above all his profound mediocrity to the limits. And because of the way privilege looks after it’s own that’s all it took for him to be most consequential PM for generations.
Oh, you could add he left the UK ravaged by austerity measures for generations to come for the above reasons.
9
It appears as though Mr. Cameron's lack of awareness of his constituents 'depth of dissatisfaction with Europe', is a parallel to the US's political and upper class lack of awareness of the depth of despair that many former middle class Americans are experiencing since St. ronnie broke the unions and created an American Monarchy.
This oblivion to the daily life of the politician's constituents is what resulted in the election of an orange clown king in the US and a mad-hatter in Britain. There continues to be a pent up anger in the populace, especially as they see how these new 'saviors of the common man' have lied to them.
What is going to happen when this boils up while the well healed play their tennis and golf at fancy clubs and the newly created serfs want revenge?
10
Here is a guy who made one really bad mistake, had to leave office and now feels guilty. Our guy makes mistakes going all the way back to his bankruptcies and trying to steal from his family and now making mistakes daily of some consequence and he blithely goes along in this Dunning-Kreuger reverie and feels no guilt at all. Weird.
3
Conservatives who say Cameron called the Referendum (and acted as if he would not mind its passing) for political expediency are obviously correct. But he didn't do it "to quell the right wing unease rumbling through his party". He did it to feed and harness the right wing extremism. He succeeded so well with the first that the Brexit mob became uncontrollable - and still is!
More than anyone else, he is responsible for breaking the United Kingdom from the rest of Europe, and for breaking the United Kingdom apart inside. And then the coward handed the mess off to incompetent May and charlatan Johnson, rather than attempting to limit the damage. He claims he is very very sorry, but is he sorry for the bad things he did or is he sorry that people blame him? And he is a VERY SORRY excuse for a human being.
10
The one thing I am more shocked about tham anything else is that recently Cameron stated that he wished he had been more brutal with cuts in the budget when he became PM. Basically admitting that austerity in the UK should have been deeper and faster. This man's government cuts have helped ruin my country. Wehn you add that along with his Brexit mess; unforgiveable.
10
At least he does say that he regrets letting a vote of that magnitude be decided by a simple majority.
I would say that decision is one of the dumbest and cockiest things ever done by a PM. It also shows Mr. Cameron completely out of tune with the populace which was deeply affected by austerity cuts. They were anxious to be able to vote against anything just to voice a protest of government in general.
The error, I see, therefore, was to allow a referendum without establishing that 60% of the country would have to agree before it could pass. This would, at least, have given enough margin to counter the meddling mischief inside and outside the kingdom.
7
My sympathies are with Theresa May. The men of the Party portrayed here as weak, “scurrying to Brussels” and ineffective. Well folks events show she was none of these. She should never have allowed Boris in her Cabinet. Many buffoons emerged from Eton and he is the biggest one of all. Brits are no different from the Yanks - preferring a babbler to a genuine leader.
9
My wife and I were living in Germany at the time the Brexit disaster first unfolded under Cameron, so we had a ring-side seat. It was obvious to anyone with an ounce of common sense, that Mr. Cameron was successively painting himself into a corner with every new utterance of the threat to hold a referendum in Britain on remaining in the EU. It vividly demonstrated the full arrogance and stupidity of the English boarding school bred political class (I use "English" advisedly as opposed to "British").
The British have never seen themselves as part of Europe - at one level they still see themselves as a world-dominating empire, while at the other end, somewhat more realistically, they put all the trust in the Anglo-Saxon Atlantic alliance.
Cameron's actions were a result of the blindly self-delusional view of the overriding importance of the UK to the EU, in stead of recognizing, as Margaret Thatcher had, that, without the EU, the UK just become "little England", and looses even what little influence it still has in the world.
Boris, for even worse self-delusional and self-aggrandizing reasons, will put the final nails into the coffin of Britain's role in the world.
13
I do not know anyone in the UK who believes that we are part of a "world dominating Empire". Few people here believed that the EU considered that the we were an important member state, and the EU conduct of the exit arrangements has confirmed the position. The UK has a natural affinity with the US - we fought together in two world wars to prevent German domination of Europe- but we recognise that the US will always prioritise its own interests. Finally, the general concern nowadays is to promote the economic and social well being of the country, not to have "influence" in the wider world. We leave that to Merkel and Macron.
3
I am not sure what the point of this article is. He wrote a book, he is going on a book tour and he is sorry. Sorry for what, being ignorant and not caring about the people of England. Sorry for not agreeing with Obama about Syria and not working hard enough to arrive to a solution that could save lives. Sorry doesnt cut it. If England and America had not worked hard to win WW11 where would we be now? In concentration camps ,starved as they are in Russia
We are talking about lives, real people and I think we are in another movie and we can course change and no one will be dead. That isn't how it is in real life
Britain and America are in the process of being soulless countries, we have two buffoons running the countries into the ground. If our politicians were only as smart as FDR, Churchill were we have nothing to fear however, our politicians are lazy and completely inept. We are in a swamp of fools and it just will never end till we are all destroyed or Boris is removed and now the good news for Trump we might not have to wait to long for him to be spotting an orange jump suit.
10
Referendums are politically lazy ways for elected officials to skip voting on tough issues and attending to the business of a nation.
8
I agree with several comments below that Mr. Cameron deluding himself if he thinks history will only link Brexit to him.
Ask Mr. Clinton - as hard as he has tried - the first sentence in history about him - only the second POTUS to be impeached and tried.
Or for that matter ask W - he will be remembered as a POTUS on whose watch 9/11 happened.
Of course, the issue here is British politics has become so personality driven. All these politicians talk about themselves - never talking about folks who elected them.
I suspect some West End play will come out of this - and all politicians and even their queen will come. And they will have a big laugh.
Unfortunately, in the mean time - no one talks people's issues.
6
I am deeply sorry that I made such a mess with that egg all over my face. I am not at all sorry that I juggled the eggs. And the chicken is still a close friend.
25
Should an elected official in a democracy should be pilloried for putting an issue to a popular vote?
I am against Brexit, but the fact remains that Leave won in a popular vote. there were lies, but that was pointed out when they were made, and the result is what it was nevertheless.
2
The problem with conservatives (Tories, Republicans, etc.) is that they don’t know how to run things when they get elected. The problem for the rest of us is that they know how to win elections (usually by lying and cheating, but still). Conservatives, and the people that vote for them, think that the government is always the problem. Yet, just like children that don’t want to listen to their parents, they will run to the government (aka Mom & Dad) when things go wrong.
22
Cameron proved himself a poor leader for allowing such an ambiguous referendum.
And then to walk away, even worse.
Now (once) Great Britain is left with Johnson, Farage and Corbyn.
Mo, Larry and Curley would do a better job.
9
All this coverage is free publicity for his book! He's making money – and placing himself back on the stage – out of Brexit. Or is it going to charity? I hope so.
3
@G Power
Quite right, Cameron’s profiting again from his crimes
3
“While Boris cared about this issue, it was secondary to another concern: what was the best outcome for him?” he writes.
And yet I recall reading in this paper that whereas he was opposed to Brexit, he promised his supporters in Parliment that he'd support a referendum if and after they elected him for another term as PM.
Whatever happened to leadership?! Outstandingly politically craven.
The writer should have remembered that fact and taken pains to remind Mr. Cameron of it.
7
Whether from arrogance or complacency, David Cameron
initiated a Brexit referendum and never compaigned astutely to assure the result he expected. While Johnson and Farage launched their scurrilous lies, Cameron showed his elitist smugness towards the English people. The result relieves Chamberlain of having made the worst decision as prime minister.
5
It’s amazing to realize just how out of touch with the British public PM Cameron was when he called for the referendum. Living in the bubble with sycophantic acolytes crated the surreal paradise Mr. Cameron lived in. It wasn’t just about understanding how the referendum campaign should’ve been conducted, but how the average British family was fearing. Though, even now, if the reporting of his memoirs’ accounts are correct, he still doesn’t seem to quite get it.
Short of the radical leave plan, there was nothing more PM May could have done. Which leaves us with unicorn Johnson, who when he’s not cheating something or someone is plotting to cheat something or someone. May no chlorinated chicken make it to his table, he’s albino enough - with apologies to all good, decent albinos.
5
Perhaps if Cameron had seen Donald Trump be elected in America before the referendum, he'd have reversed course in a big hurry. Our 2016 election revealed a degree of low-brow, low-information, cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face carelessness that Cameron may not have believed humanity capable of.
8
One thing that's seldom reported in the U.S. press is that there are a number of arguments made by reasonable people in favor of Brexit.
For one thing, belonging to the E.U. means that your country must accept any laws that the E.U. makes (even though the E.U. itself is not a country).
2nd. EU countries must accept all immigrants from any other EU countries with no limitations.
This theoretically works both ways, but in fact few people are interested in moving to most E. European countries where wages are about 1/3 of U.K. levels.
3rd, under the current rules, British citizens take a backseat to EU citizens. Anyone wanting to bring their American, Australian, Canadian etc spouse to live in the UK has many hurdles and hoops to jump through and fees totalling about $5000. (You have to pay $1000 just to apply and the application can be turned down, with no refund of application fees.)
Meanwhile, somebody from the E.U. can bring their non-EU spouse to the UK to settle permanently with fees whatsoever.
There are various anomalies like this that grate on people. (The E.U. was supposed to be a trading bloc after all, not a country.)
I am not in favor of Brexit, so I am not interested in debating the subject.
However, just pointing out that people who support it are not completely irrational.
4
@Peter Piper There are a few advantages to having cancer: you don't have to go to work; people feel badly for you and humor your moods; it's a great way to lose weight. By your logic...well, I needn't continue.
9
@Peter Piper Member countries are free to make their own laws. EU laws are not foisted onto member countries. That the EU foists its laws and will onto member countries is another myth being perpetuated by Brexiteers and the unenlightened. The main thing that the EU strives for, at least until now, is standards: each member country must agree to standards, such as food standards and human rights.
8
He put the issue up to a vote without any substance to the question, any details about the trade offs, the fact that they can't get everything on their side... then when the vote went sideways, he didn't mention that this was an advisory and start making proposals for the voters, he just ran away. Not OK.
The vote was a mistake without details of consequences, without the supermajority requirement, but the biggest mistake was taking a "purely advisory" vote and pretending it was a mandate.
15
@SusanStoHelit
That's the thing with democracy: the people rule. One of the responsibilities of rule is to make an effort to understand the consequences for the decisions you make. Sometimes the people don't take that responsibility seriously. That's one instance when democracy fails.
1
@Alan Friesen
The people voted on a purely advisory measure. It was not provided to them as if it was binding. It was not.
The politicians are pretending it was binding when that is not a fact and refusing in spite of public protest to allow a vote on the actual proposals.
2
David Cameron was a good MP, perhaps a little naive. He called for the Brexit Referendum to save his Post as PM, being convinced that the Remain side will prevail by a good margin. As such he underestimated the Arsonists, Devils and Liers in Politics and the Impact of uneducated British Voters.
Now the mess is complete and one only can hope that the way out of this Dilemma can only be a new Referendum, and a oneway ticket for Boris to somewhere in Outer Space
On the other Hand, the British, being Islanders, always liked to be a little different from others. Big setback for a United Europe with many other challenges. Still, Britannia is part of European History and belongs to Europelike Westminster Abbey to London.
5
@RS
I think Britain is past the point of no-return on this. While membership in the EU is a fantastic benefit and leaving will cause a great deal of suffering, not leaving at this point is going to feed a seed of anger and resentfulness from a substantial section of the population that would plague and divide the country for the foreseeable future.
As much as I hate to admit it, the best way forward (there are no good ways) would be to exit, fail miserably, and once everybody realizes what a tragic mistake it all was, to come crawling back to Europe for readmission.
2
While not from Great Britain, I have followed the Brexit mess for three years. Would my American well-earned cynicism show too much by asking if this long, sort of, apology might be related to Cameron’s 700 page book he’s trying to hawk?
16
His "sorries" mean nothing when they are paired with a book he is hawking. Second worst Prime Minister after Neville Chamberlain. Cameron did huge austerity for the people and money grabs for the rich and when people turned on him he risked the future of the UK doing the Scottish Referendum and Brexit Referendum. He allowed Pro-Brexit people in his party to lie about the problems of Brexit and make empty promises, he allowed Russia to interfere and he gave Putin exactly what he wanted, a weakened UK and EU.
10
It really does look as if Great Britain made a big mistake. The US did also in electing Trump. Hopefully both will recover in the coming years.
10
Been annoyed at Cameron for a while for wrecking the country.
But I admit that, if he wasn't back stabbed by Grove and Boris Johnson, the current clown who's the Prime Minister, it would have worked out well.
Sadly, that's the nature of politics.
1
@Ed In an episode that's mostly forgotten today, The entire Soviet Union ended because Boris Yeltsin backstabbed Gorbachev at just the right moment.
Yeltsin was leader of Russia at the time and went behind his back to make a pact with the leaders of the other countries of the (then) soviet union.
2
In the old days, sinners like Cameron would have been banished to monastic cells to live out the rest of their days in shame and penance, rather than playing tennis on Wednesday afternoons.
For the life of me, I will never understand how the mother of all parliamentary democracies managed to throw away centuries of common sense to stab itself repeatedly in the face with a rusty knife, hoping the pain would just go away.
18
What about Iraq? I confuse Tony Blair with David Cameron. They should both be permanently ensconced in the Tower of London.
6
the aristocracy produces the worst leaders.
7
Mr. Camerons book is my favourite for the annual "The book the world has not waited for" - award in 2019.
23
I really don't understand why Cameron insists that he was surprised by the outcome of the referendum. The British press had been badmouthing the EU for decades, blaming the EU (and/or Germany) for pretty much everything that has ever gone wrong in the UK. What impact did Cameron believe this would have on the citizens of his country?
12
History will not be kind to the former Prime Minister, kowtowing to the right to stay in power by allowing this poorly planned referendum to occur. While it cost him his power and reputation it will cost the people of Britain much more. They will keep going, and persevere but not without pain. I suspect he and his Chipping Norton neighbors will likely skate along as before, so, lucky him.
48
A day--well, a couple of years--late, and a pound short.
27
"As for Brexit, let us be clear about this: Mr. Cameron does not regret holding the referendum."
Well, then he's nowhere near sorry enough. There are some issues that can't be handled by referendum, as when there are multiple choices and a lack of information that will only be cured after the referendum. That is, there's a reason why there's a class of professional politicians who are tasked to make most legislation. The excuse that "I didn't know it would come out with a Leave vote" simply shows Cameron overestimated the public's ability to handle this sort of issue by referendum. And that he's a coward who wouldn't come to grips with it.
73
On a side note, it's interesting to compare the permanent guarded sanctity of a former U.S. president--the Secret Service detail, the black SUVs, the office budget, the lifelong presidential aura and treatment--with the British attitude toward an ex-prime minister.
A British relative was at a cricket match mere months after John Major had lost the office of PM, turned around and looked over his shoulder for something and---saw John Major sitting right behind him, all alone, watching the match.
Not long after David Cameron resigned his office, a photo was published of him at some tatty beach in England, sitting on a low cement wall next to a car park (parking lot), with a jumble of beachgoing families around him--old and young, clearly average folks--and either completely ignoring him or not even aware of who was seated next to them.
And then this article lets us know that he goes shopping in supermarkets now like a regular Joe and ordinary shoppers can just walk up and give him an earful.
Very different treatment: regal for ex-presidents, nothing much for ex-PMs.
34
@Enemy of Crime
Yes, it's evidence that our presidents are far too close to being kings. Even before Trump.
8
I believe the power of the US president has grown too great, but the presidency of the United States is a very different office to the premiership of the United Kingdom. For one thing, the president is head of state; the prime minister is not. Also, the prime minister is a member of parliament, first among 650; the president occupies a singular office.
1
@Thomas Z
There’s some bizarre irony in your last comment. I agree with you, but it’s still bizarre vis-a-vis kings and the founding of our country.
But then I’m not sure that any PM’s get assassinated in GB; they have intelligent gun laws there.
5
If your really sorry you will let the homeless people YOU created come live on your estate as I am sure you have room.
12
Cameron was sorry way before the referendum. He was a very sorry prime minister.
12
He is clearly not perfect but that ‘Titanic’ movie was really good!
9
Now he’s sorry? Oh please.
Bye Felecia.
19
I don't support Brexit at all, but I still would like to point out that membership in the E.U. requires open borders and you must also unlimited immigration from any other EU countries.
How many Americans would accept a deal like that?
5
@Peter Piper
The problem is that European countries are small. To have a chance to play on the same field as the US, they needed to band together.
14
@Peter Piper Americans already do accept open borders – open borders between states. That is the template for the European Union too. Why should it be okay for Americans, but not for Europeans?
33
@Peter Piper
Well, actually we do have open borders between the states. And the EU, like the US, limits immigration.
21
Yeah, Pandora was sorry too except instead of Hope as the only thing left we have "Boris". Thanks David for the Disunited Kingdom.
29
Hindsight is 20/20.
His comment about watching Trump destroy our Democrocy as "fascinating to watch " should actually be "disgusting" and "sorrow at the loss of the American leadership for freedom across the world".... Another politician with no concern for the people who they impact.
No mention of the foreign interference with the votes or social media that helped fuel the flames of the Brexit supporters? Sorry? Aren't we all...
53
He set his nation and the world into chaos because he couldn’t control extremist and racist factions within his own party. The British people, shrouded in enormous ignorance, did the rest.
Then we decided to jump off the bridge too.
One can only hope elections, and electorates that are finally awake after a 40 year slumber, correct these messes as soon as possible.
79
On one hand - I don't particularly care what David Cameron has to say. He lit the fuse and was surprised that Brexit blew up in his face. So I just won't read his biography because, in the words of my generation, 'thank u, next.'
On the other hand - a lot of this mess isn't actually Cameron's fault. The European Research Group and the Leave campaign spread a lot of disinformation. The Leave campaign didn't act in good faith.
The fact that Parliament can't agree on a Brexit deal isn't his fault either. It isn't David Cameron's fault that the Tory membership is old, white, and kind of right-wing. And it's not his fault that the old, white, and to-the-right Tories chose Boris.
The blame for the Brexit fiasco rests on those who campaigned in bad faith, won, but had no idea what to do next.
37
Cameron should be sorry for the poitical expediency of using a referendum in a self-serving move to gain more power. He says he is not sorry about that, but is sorry people have suffered as a result.
My opinion of this pathetic power-hungry politician is unchanged.
24
There will be no such 'my bad' from the current occupant of the White House..never
21
Nothing would have commended him so much in public life as his not writing a memoir about it once he was done inflicting his near criminal incompetence on the British people.
27
So is Jim comey. And I dont care.
16
You could have avoided this whole mess. YES, it is your fault!
53
David Cameron hoping that he will be remembered for more than just Brexit is like Neville Chamberlain hoping that he will be remembered for more than just Munich. If Cameron is remembered for anything else, it will probably be for austerity, which has done great damage to the social fabric of the U.K.
159
@lydgate
Thanks for mentioning austerity. The Conservative austerity, intended to take the cost of business tax cuts out of the hides of the less well-off Britons, is perhaps the main reason the voters chose Brexit. The Brexiteers lied by blaming austerity on the EU, when it was only a political decision by the Tories with no economic basis. Cameron will likely be remembered as a sorry (both senses) austerian who split the country and created an isolated England.
36
Cameron tried to heal the rift in the Conservative party, but ended up projecting the rift onto the country. As a result, the country is split down the middle, just as his party was split, and still is. The UK is now in grave danger of becoming the Disunited Kingdom! Scotland voted to remain in the EU, as did Northern Ireland. We could well see our own Union splitting up, since many in Scotland under Nichola Sturgeon’s leadership are already calling for another independence referendum, in order to break away and stay in the EU as an independent country. If this happens, there could well be a domino effect, and NI could eventually follow suit.
The referendum, in my opinion, should never have been called. The UK is a representative parliamentary democracy; referenda are not our usual way of conducting politics, since we are not a direct democracy. Moreover, if David Cameron felt that a referendum was necessary, it should have been drawn up better; it should never have been conducted on the basis of a simple majority. Rather, there should have been a stipulation in the referendum, stating that there would have to be say a 60% vote for or against staying in the EU. That way, the people would have had to accept the result.
The prosperity of the UK has been helped greatly by our membership of the EU. This is now being put into jeopardy.
Cameron showed extremely poor political judgment in calling that referendum. The result, I fear, will continue to haunt him.
41
@Mark Alexander, I agree. The UK has benefited more from EU membership than apart, although the UK really hasn’t been apart. Regardless, there is always strength in unity. And of course, no nation is an island. Well, the UK is but you know what I’m trying to say.
Britain, I know the Brexiters will be angry if you hold another referendum because the split never actually happened and they’ll feel cheated. That’s understandable.
Who says you can’t hold a vote on even having another referendum? A referendum on a prior referendum perhaps?
I know many Brexiters exist, this is like Trumps Base here, they’re everywhere. But I get the impression that this has soured many in Britain and if a vote were held today, the country would vote down the referendum, in other words to stay with the EU.
I’m not one to speak because Democrats here are paralyzed (1) by their own ineptitude (impeachment), and (2) Trumps illegal expansion of Executive Privilege (which our corrupt minority Party is enabling), but you can either be ‘sorry’ or you can be ‘empowered.’
6
@PC You’ve made some great points there.
I can tell you clearly: Brexit is a tragedy for the UK, and for so many reasons. We Brits are going to be giving up so much for this so-called return of our sovereignty. It will be nothing but an illusion, of course, since we never really lost our sovereignty in the first place – we simply pooled it.
The people who will miss out the most are the young people who, whilst we’re in the EU, have been able to travel and study in any European country, visa-free. Their future is being curtailed by this misstep. But not only the young, older, working people will miss out on opportunities to live, work, and retire in European countries, too.
As members of the EU, there is nothing stopping a Brit going to any other member country and setting up a business or buying a home. It really is a win-win situation. There are also reciprocal health arrangements: Brits living, working or travelling in any EU country can avail themselves of healthcare – free of charge! We can also fall in love and marry across frontiers.
These are benefits we are giving up. The whole things is crazy. It is being driven a.) by people who know no better; and b.) by people at the very top who are going to make a killing from our departure from the EU.
16
David Cameron was totally out of touch with the people. So he got the vote for Brexit.
The most likely result now appears that Boris Johnson will negotiate a deal with the EU that will the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland open, and put the customs line in the Irish Sea. Over a short time this will result in a situation where the unification of Ireland will become fact.
Scotland will, if not earlier, then become independent.
So goodbye to the United Kingdom. I guess England and Wales will become another tourist destination so folks can visit the ruins of a once great country.
20
@John Graybeard A united Ireland might not be a bad idea. An independent Scotland might be a good idea. Nothing lasts forever, and many empires have come and gone. In the last century alone, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the German Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire all disappeared. Maybe it’s time for “England” to become simply England again. Those folks have had their time in the sun.
4
@Northwoods Cynic - I completely agree. After all, the history of the British Isles is English aggression against the Welsh, the Scots, and the Irish, in that order.
1
@John Graybeard
There is something to be said for solidarity. There may be plenty of fractiousness together but, I suspect, even more would exist apart.
Let the Kingdom stay together, all, hopefully, somehow to remain in the EU and address issues of concern within European bloc. Anything being driven by a man like Boris Johnson can't be good.
1