Readers may remember I applauded UK Tory leader David Cameron’s speech when he warned of the unintended consequences of regulation. He now appears to be completely ignoring that good advice in favor of taking orders from the WWF (the environmental group, not the old wrestling organization, which would only be slightly more bizarre):

Mr Cameron’s staff feared his carefully crafted green credentials might have been undermined by a vote against REACH, sources said. The intervention of senior people close to Mr Cameron came after aggressive lobbying by the World Wildlife Fund in favour of REACH. The WWF took Mr Cameron to the Arctic in April to witness climate change and to see the impact of toxic chemicals on the environment.
Martin Callanan, MEP for the North East, said that in principle he supported the policy of replacing harmful chemicals with safer ones, but added: “I am concerned thousands of jobs in the chemical industry, including in Teesside, could go abroad as a consequence.”

The REACH directive would have severe consequences for American businesses too, which is why this issue is important here. The EU is seeking to regulate for the US too – this is one particularly outrageous example. Cameron’s pussilianimity on such as serious economic issue is exceptionally disappointing. It looks like both HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry will become mere branches of the Environment Ministry in any Cameron government.