More useful than horse riding? Cameron had a difficult summit last week.

Cameron ‘should have gone horse riding’ instead of attending EU summit

Cameron ‘should have gone horse riding’ instead of attending EU summit

By Ian Dunt

David Cameron accomplished so little at the EU summit that he may as well have gone horse-rising instead, Ed Miliband joked today.

During a raucous Commons session dedicated to last week's EU summit, the Labour leader mocked Mr Cameron for his admission that he rode a horse donated to Rebekah Brookes by the Met police.

"He accomplished nothing for Britain at this summit. For all the good it's done us he could have given the summit a miss and gone horse rising instead," Mr Miliband said.

The Labour leader mocked Mr Cameron for highlighting a letter on economic growth plans which was reportedly identical to one he sent to the European Council a year ago.

"If last year's letter had such a great impact why did he have to send it again?" Mr Miliband joked.

"I'll leave last year's letter in the library of the House because it will probably be next year's letter as well."

In a telling aside, the prime minister admitted Mr Miliband's Commons performances were improving.

"He's done his homework on his gags and they are getting better," Mr Cameron conceded.

"There's one big problem with his position. He's got to make up his mind.

"Would he have signed [the European fiscal pact] or not? The cause of the confusion is there's a slight division between the lead of opposition and the shadow chancellor about whether they want to join the euro."

The session followed a problematic summit for Mr Cameron, who complained at the start of the meeting that his proposals for job creation had been ignored by European leaders.

Critics say the prime minister's decision to veto the fiscal consolidation treaty has robbed him of influence in Europe. Supporters believe it was that veto which turned an EU treaty into the 25-strong fiscal pact currently on the table.