"History is not written for us, but by us."
This could easily be a quote from any prominent member of the Leave campaign - perhaps by Nigel Farage, Kate Hoey or Daniel Hannan. Shockingly however, it was once said by David Cameron in front of a packed out room at the 2014 Conservative Party Conference, and is said to be one of his favourite quotes of all time.
Sadly though, as we start our journey through 2016 it is becoming clearer Cameron does not really believe we should write our own history, but quite the opposite...
On the cold morning of the Bloomberg speech in January 2013, a day which now seems a lifetime ago in the world of politics, David Cameron offered a very small glimpse of hope to Eurosceptics across the UK. He promised an In - Out referendum which would settle the question surrounding Britain's relationship with the EU once and for all.
Under a great deal of pressure from UKIP, this promise became a half-hearted attempt at winning over some of his dithering Brexit-supporting backbenchers. Cameron said he would renegotiate for an EU which was "more flexible, more adaptable, more open - fit for the challenges of the modern age."
Quiet on the content of his plans, Cameron waited nearly 18 months before offering the public any sort of insight... and did his proposal offer the British voters the option of a more flexible EU? Not at all.
With other leaders of EU Member States becoming frustrated with Cameron's inconclusive discussions with them, they demanded Britain's requests be made clear - and in writing. Finally, he was forced to present a letter to President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. The proposal was described by the infamous Jacob Rees-Mogg as "thin gruel".
Ultimately Cameron planned to ask for the removal of a few words from the EU's constitution, and for written reassurance the EU understood some of its Member States, especially the UK, do not wish to ever be part of the Eurozone.
This letter was surely going to have Juncker and his colleagues in Brussels quaking in their boots.
Now, with Cameron looking for a final deal for Britain at the February summit of EU leaders, it seems as though even the more fruitless points of his original letter to Tusk have been hushed away. Instead, the Prime Minister seems to be focusing on one point, and one point alone - the withdrawal of benefits to new migrants to Britain for a period of four years.
But even this now comes with many a compromise.
There have been suggestions in the press over the last few days Cameron will have to accept the creation of an EU army in return for his proposals on benefits. So Brussels is trying to push the UK into 'more EU' at a time Cameron is supposed to be ferociously trying to cut back on our integration with the Union in order to convince undecided voters Britain is better off staying In!
It doesn't take 'rocket science' to understand a deal which will lead to Britain ending up with more EU than it started out with, will be a huge disaster. In a scene almost resembling something from a comedy sketch, David Cameron seems to be accepting any deal given to him in a desperate attempt to bring something back to 'con' Britons into voting to remain in the EU. It would almost be funny if the subject wasn't something as serious as the future of our country.
It has also been suggested David Cameron is ready to cut back on what seems to be his only remaining demand - restricting migrants' benefits for four years. Unbelievably it is now being mooted he will accept a mere one-year restriction.
Cameron seems to have given up pushing for any sort of real deal for Britain. In fact, towards the end of 2015 he seemed to pop open the champagne over legislation which meant Netflix could be used by British tourists in any EU country, but at a cost of course. It is all too typical of the EU to give peanuts with one hand and peck away with the other.
The Prime Minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week he is in 'no rush' to get a deal with Brussels. It seems all too likely this is because they are playing hard-ball, and not because Cameron wishes to spend more time pushing for what is right for Britain.
Regardless of the actual outcome to the Prime Minister's renegotiations, you can bet your bottom dollar you'll see Cameron on TV in the next three months or so waving a signed piece of paper from Tusk extolling his hard fought battle 'to get the best deal for Britain' or some other cliché to that affect.
And this can only lead to one possible outcome - a Leave vote.
The British voters are not naïve. They will see through Cameron's failed deal. They will see Britain is not writing its own history, but instead is being dragged into a deeper federal political union - with laws and regulations being dictated by the EU parliament.
This referendum is not about staying in or leaving the EU. It is about going against the status quo and quitting the Union, or being entrenched in more Brussels doctrine than ever before.
If David Cameron really is a firm believer in creating our own history, instead of coming back to the UK with a flimsy insubstantial deal, he should hold his hands up and say: 'Sorry guys, I tried my best - but failed. They just would not listen'.
Instead, Cameron will insist we remain a member of a Union which is not in the slightest bit interested in letting us create our own economic and political path. This has been made clearer and clearer throughout this whole renegotiation process.
When the time comes, the Great British Public should take note of the Prime Minister's own words in 2014 - and vote to allow Britain to create its own history, and to Get Britain Out.