A cynical Guido wonders if the EPP withdrawal issue is to Cameron what Fox-hunting was to Blair. Whenever Blair was having a little difficulty with the backbenchers a fox-hunting vote would be found time for, or it would be promised. Blair didn’t really care about the issue, it was a useful prospect to dangle to left-wing MPs.

Cameron gave a firm promise during the hustings to the Tory right that EPP withdrawal would be a priority. Various versions of the promise related to Guido say it was that it would happen “in the first week” or by last Christmas. Cameron has some plausible excuses for it not happening immediately, but it is also a handy prospect to dangle before the right-wing press and restless backbenchers. If the Euro-Tories really wanted to, they could do it immediately with an open invitation to the Poles and Czechs to join them as and when…