Cameron Tells Bold Truths

One thing that can be said without fear of contradiction about David Cameron's early forays overseas is that they are not dull. In the space of a week he has notched up a hat-trick of what his critics claim are gaffes and what his aides describe as bold truths. On his highly successful first visit to the United States last week, the Prime Minister raised hackles back home by asserting that this country was a "junior partner" to America in 1940 (he said yesterday this was a slip of the tongue and he had meant to say "in the 1940s"). In Ankara on Tuesday, he delighted his Turkish hosts by denouncing the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla and describing Gaza as a "prison camp". Yesterday, in Bangalore, he pleased the Indian government by warning Pakistan against international double-dealing and any temptation to "promote the export of terror".