Clegg Attacks Cameron Over Europe 'Isolation'

Nick Clegg is said to be privately furious with David Cameron over his decision to veto the new EU treaty, saying the result has left Britain as the "lonely man of Europe".
It comes as a poll shows the majority of British voters back Mr Cameron's use of Britain's veto at the European Council.
Despite publicly backing Mr Cameron, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister is said to believe the decision was not in Britain's best interests and leaves the country isolated in Europe.
A source close to europhile Mr Clegg told The Independent on Sunday there was "a spectacular failure to deliver in the country's interest" at the Brussels summit.
"Nick certainly doesn't think this is a good deal for Britain, for British jobs or British growth," the source said.
"It leaves us isolated in Europe and that is not in our national interest. Nick's fear is that we become the lonely man of Europe."
The source said Mr Clegg "couldn't believe it" when, on Friday morning, he was informed of the course of events and how his coalition partner had sought to negotiate with fellow EU leaders.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg are already facing conflicting demands from their respective backbenchers in the wake of the dramatic veto.
Jubilant eurosceptic Tories have stepped up calls for a full renegotiation of Britain's position in the EU, only for Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes to insist the issue was "not on the table" and that Conservatives should "calm down".
Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable also expressed concern that Britain had "finished in a bad place" at the EU summit, where the 26 other nations embarked on a deal to save the euro without the involvement of the UK.
He told The Sunday Telegraph: "I am not criticising the Prime Minister personally. Our policy was a collective decision by the coalition. We finished in a bad place."
 
He said that CBI director general John Cridland, in questioning whether Britain would now be able to stop new financial regulations in this "uncharted territory", had given a "good assessment".
Tory Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, a pro-European like his Lib Dem Cabinet colleagues, described the outcome of the summit as "disappointing".
He said he would be listening carefully to Mr Cameron's explanation when he mkes a statement to the Commons tomorrow.
But Foreign Secretary William Hague backed the PM, insisting he had done the "right thing for Britain".
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, he said: "Our requests were moderate, reasonable and relevant, given the potential spill-over from fiscal to financial integration.
"Discussions were friendly but, unfortunately, not everyone was willing to agree to what we put forward.
"We did not go to Brussels seeking a row. We went in search of agreement. It is a matter of regret that no agreement that was acceptable to all 27 EU countries could be reached.
"But it is better to have no change to the EU treaties than a change that did not protect our interests."
Mr Hague said nations signing up to the new plans risked a "considerable loss of national sovereignty that has profound implications for their national democracies".
Despite rows at Westminster over the decision, the Prime Minister has the support of 62% of the public, a survey for The Mail on Sunday has found.
Only 19% said Mr Cameron was wrong to use the veto. Just over half - 51% - said the Prime Minister had done well at the summit.
The poll, carried out by Survation which interviewed 1,020 people, also indicated that eurosceptic Tory demands for a referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU were well supported in the country, with 66% backing the idea and 22% opposing it.