The German government signalled yesterday that Britain would need to contribute to the new EU bailout being negotiated for Greece despite David Cameron's repeated assertions this week that the issue is a "red line" for the government.
The conflicting messages from Berlin and London paved the way for a likely clash between Germany and Britain at an EU summit opening in Brussels on Thursday and will unleash howls of protest from the eurosceptic media and the prime minister's backbenchers if he is forced to pledge more for Greece's rescue.
