WHAT IS it about British leaders and the US that makes them prone to rewrite that bit of history the Irish like to refer to as “the emergency”? World War Two to you and me.
Posh Dave Cameron has been out talking to the great unwashed to prep them for the savage cuts to public services ahead (thanks again bankers).
But it seems everytime slick Dave opens his posh gob he just changes feet.
Today he reckoned Iran had a nuclear weapon. The day before he said Britain had been the junior partner in the fight against the nazis in 1940. Before that he pissed of the whole of Pakistan. That’s some going!
The latter point will rankle more than a few, but it’s an interesting insight into how the Brits view that period of history. On September 20, 2001 Tony Blair stood beside George Bush junior just days after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and said: “My father’s generation went through the experience of the second world war, when Britain was under attack, during the days of the Blitz. And there was one nation and one people that, above all, stood side by side with us at that time. And that nation was America, and those people were the American people. And I say to you, we stand side by side with you now, without hesitation.”
Almost nine years later, after his “junior partner” gaffe irritated a voter, Dave Cameron said:
“There was no senior partner. We were on our own in 1940 … You are absolutely right and I was absolutely wrong.”
The PM said: “There were a few Polish pilots, there were a few French pilots, [but] on the whole it was Britain standing completely alone against Nazi Germany. It is the proudest moment of our history and we should be incredibly proud of the fact that we stood alone against Hitler.”
Without taking anything away from Britain’s magnificent refusal to bow to the little Austrian twit with a moustache, let’s face a few facts. The Americans didn’t want to touch the conflict with a barge pole, Churchill was delighted when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in 1941 (note the date Dave et al), and a few former dominions – Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and the West Indies to name a few – might have something to say about just how alone the UK was.
Blair was so keen to impress the Americans that it’s not worth correcting his moronic error, but we can’t let the new bloke off the hook so easily. For the record the RAF Roll of Honour for the Battle of Britain recognises 574 non-UK pilots from July 10 to October 31 1940, alongside 2,353 British pilots.
The foreign contingent included 145 Polish pilots, 127 from New Zealand, 112 from Canada and 88 from Czechoslovakia. There were “only” 13 Frenchmen, but in total, that’s more than Dave is making out, so he’s managed to insult a whole new demographic. Well done old chap!
Next time, leave the existing foot in your gob and save yourself a bit of time. Ok?
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