July 16: praise for David Cameron

Vicenç Villatoro
1 min

I was overcome by feelings of envy and admiration while I watching David Cameron’s last day as Prime Minister on TV, standing outside Number 10 and in parliament; and also when I heard the tenor and content of his farewell speeches.

There is much you might find disagreeable about Cameron. But there are several admirable things about him. He put the big issues to the people. And he listened to what they had to say, both when they returned the answer that he was expecting —and hoping for—, and when they didn’t.

There was no bitterness to his departure, but sportsmanship and good-natured humour. On the very evening of Cameron’s farewell, I was watching a political debate on a Spanish TV network where the pundits called Cameron a fool and labelled him an absolute disaster. Likewise, they laughed at the ways, traditions and instruments of Britain’s ancient democracy. Quite frankly, I cannot fathom what they were laughing at.

I mean that —from Madrid and on any such matters— any modicum of decorum would advise against trying to teach London a lesson in democracy. As in football, in politics

fair play is more noble than short-sighted point-scoring; a democratic culture that is taken to heart is more admirable that diving in the penalty box (more so when you picked the referee yourself).

The choice between Cameron and Rajoy is a no-brainer.

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