There is good news for Brexiteers today: contrary to previous reports, Bill Clinton is not coming to Britain to intervene in the EU referendum debate.
There is bad news for Brexiteers today: contrary to previous reports, Bill Clinton is not coming to Britain to intervene in the EU referendum debate.
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This month The Times of London claimed that Clinton would fly to London to deliver a lecture urging Britain to stay in the EU.
His pro-EU political soulmate Tony Blair was apparently going to oversee the trip.
But Heat Street can reveal that Bill has bottled it.
He will not be appearing.
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Clinton had apparently told friends he would make his pro-EU speech when his wife, Hillary, had officially secured the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
With Bernie Sanders doggedly staying in that contest until the bitter end – at least until the California primary on June 7 – it seems possible that Clinton’s diary won’t allow him to visit the UK between then and the June 23 referendum.
Alternatively, it’s just as likely that Clinton knows how unpopular his speech would be in Britain.
Remember Obama?
When Heat Street contacted Blair’s office, a spokesman confirmed that Clinton would not be making a speech.
This is positive news for Brexiteers because of the likely resentment a Clinton speech would bring.
But, arguably, Clinton’s no-show can also be seen as as bad news for Brexiteers.
They must know that the idea of Blair and Clinton on stage together telling the British to remain in the EU would be mocked and scorned to such a degree it would encourage most people to stick two fingers up at them and do the very opposite – assuming they bother to vote.
Come back, Bill, all is forgiven?
The Bill Clinton Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.
