Full coverage of UK politics
Iain Martin remarks on the strange absence of Gordon Brown during the Georgian crisis. Spot on. And, while we're on the subject, what about the absence of Britain? Are we content to be represented by President Sarkozy?
Come to that, when is the last time you can remember the UK acting wholly independently in foreign affairs? Alright, we can still decide the absolutely critical things for ourselves: whether to invade Iraq, for example. But most issues - selling arms to Beijing, funding the Hamas regime, sucking up to the ayatollahs in Teheran, sponsoring a ceasefire in Georgia - are now determined by Brussels.
David Cameron's visit to Tblisi indicated a more pro-Georgian stance than those of Gordon Brown or Nicolas Sarkozy. Good. The Conservative Party, like The Daily Telegraph is a long-standing opponent of Russian aggrandisement in the Caucasus. While I support South Ossetia's right to self-determination, Russia is behaving outrageously, continuing to occupy parts of Georgia proper. But if David Cameron wants to take a similar line as Prime Minister, he will first have to assert Britain's independence from the EU.
Source: Daniel Hannan
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