As he approached committee room 14, where Tory MPs were preparing to raise concerns about Libya, the prime minister suddenly became animated. He had a surprise for the MPs and peers gathered to listen to him answer their concerns about Libya. Arnold Schwarzenegger would address the meeting.
Desmond Swayne, the prime minister's jovial parliamentary private secretary, was despatched to ensure that the former governor of California would arrive safely and, most importantly, on time. A tanned figure could be seen in the distance ambling along the corridor accompanied by a posse of bodyguards and aides dressed in black tie for Mikhail Gorbachev's 80th birthday party at the Albert Hall.
Cameron, who first bonded with the former governor when they discussed the environment in his Cigar Tent in the grounds of his office in Sacramento, had a brief chat with the former Terminator. The prime minister was then called into the committee room where he announced that he had a special guest.
Schwarzenegger did the business for the prime minister. Tory MPs banged their desks with approval as he said that Cameron had shown leadership on Libya. He left after just a few minutes – the former president of a superpower could not be kept waiting – and walked off with his bodyguards.
I caught up with Schwarzenegger who told me:
I was invited by the prime minister to say a few words. David is doing such a great job.
It was very good to pump them up, to tell them they're doing a great job on Libya, a great job for Britain in making it live within its means and a great job with policies to protect the environment.
Downing Street, which knows that Tory MPs have deep concerns about Libya, was delighted. A senior No 10 source said:
Arnie is David's secret weapon. We can't arm the rebels but at least we have Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cameron addressed the concerns of MPs after Schwarzenegger had left. He told MPs:
We are not dreamers. We are Conservatives.
Tory MPs have two concerns about Libya:
• The prospect that Britain could be prepared to arm rebel forces. Edward Leigh highlighted these concerns when he told William Hague in the Commons:
I urge extreme caution on [the foreign secretary]. Would it not be a double win for al-Qaida, and would we not start losing support in the Arab world, if we were seen to impose a solution on Libya and at the same time to give arms to what could prove to be Islamist insurgents in the future?
• That Britain is embarking on "mission creep" in which it goes beyond UN security council resolution 1973, which authorised the military action, to remove the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. These concerns were highlighted in the commons last week by Andrew Tyrie, the chairman of the commons Treasury select committee.
All sides seemed excited by the appearance of Schwarzenegger. Tories were too polite to ask whether it was wise of the prime minister to pose at a time of war with the man who utters the famous words in The Terminator – 'The Uzi nine millimeter' – as he orders a series of weapons from a gun shop. When the owner says he can't buy so many weapons all at once Schwarzenegger takes what might be described as the Gaddafi approach and shoots him dead.
Tories probably forgot that detail when Schwarzenegger uttered his most famous line from the film as he departed with the words:
I'll be back.
