DAMAGE CONTROL

Cameron Doubles Down on EU Veto

Says agreement was not in the national interest.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron had to face hostile members of Parliament Monday after he vetoed a new euro agreement at the EU summit last week. His deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, who is pro-Europe, decided not even to sit next to him in the House of Commons. Cameron told M.P.s that he negotiated in “good faith,” but became the only European leader to veto the agreement because it was not in the national interest. The agreement promises closer fiscal union between European states, but would have required heavy austerity measures if national finances get out of hand. Clegg said being isolated is bad for jobs and the British economy. London banks are also stunned by the veto, spooked that London will further lose financial influence on the continent.