Europe

[Furunculus]

Not so fast. Or: I would not at all be surprised if the usual British attitude towards the EU would mean that his comfortable position is taken by Germany and France. Itching to flex their muscles a bit; those might very well snatch away this position from Cameron as he attempts to eat his cake and have it too.

And I for one would not be surprised if the big surveillance-fest known as UK (name a country that has closer government surveillance of its citizens within the EU; pretty please) will soon find those who are concerned about privacy wishing they had taken the EU a little more seriously... So far the best safeguard against overzealous abusive government fingering of your personal details and circumstances has not exactly been British watchdogs or parliament. Rather it has been the EU courts in Strasbourg and legislation from Brussels.

what does that actually mean insomuch as the strength of camerons bargaining position?

you are dreaming.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I, for one, welcome abolishing the many legal obstacles criminals and crafty lawyers can invoke to protect criminals at great expense to the law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. When a Frenchman travels to the UK to rob and kill, then hides in Germany, I want him to face justice in Britain without further ado, without two years of excruciating and very costly national laws and regulation getting in the way.

Laws are meant to protect law-abiding citizens, not the criminals.