Some say that Cameron used the expected furore around this issue to deflect attention away from the talks on the EU budget, especially to sidestep in depth examination of the implications of the specifics.
Others have suggested it is a deliberate attempt to sunder the Conservative Party by alienating its older and more traditional elements as, supposedly, this would allow a new party to emerge unassociated in the public mind with what has often been referred to as the Conservatives reputation as the 'nasty' party.
As with all politics trying to make sense of any of is a complex task. For me to often what a politician of any persuasion says and what he or she means are two different things.
