Following his election victory, David Cameron says he will organise a referendum on EU membership
ADVERTISEMENTIt was one of the key promises of the British Prime Minister, and he is vowing to stick to his word.
Following his election victory, David Cameron says he will organise a referendum on EU membership.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Conservative cabinet minister, told euronews: “David Cameron will see it as a commitment which he will honour, that he will seek to negotiate an improved relationship with the EU for the UK.
“And then what he hopes to do is to recommend in a referendum to the British people that they should remain in the European Union.”
And there is enormous pressure on Cameron to deliver and not risk any damage to Britain’s future. And a lot of that pressure is coming from within.
John Redwood, another former Conservative cabinet minister, told euronews: “I want our democracy back.
“So if something matters to the British people, the ultimate decision should rest with their elected representatives in the British Parliament.
“We can’t live in a world where major items have been settled by a European law which we can not change.”
Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party Chairman, told euronews: “We do need to have some discussions about the way people can come here at the moment, claim from the welfare system here, for example come onto the (social) housing list and many other things, without first having to pay into the system.
“So we want sensible reforms which will mean that when people come here they come here for work, not for welfare.”
Cameron promised during the election campaigning to hold the referendum on Europe by the end of 2017.
Euronews’ correspondent in London, James Franey, reported: “David Cameron has passed the first challenge by forming a government. Now the bigger one is convincing parliamentarians to back the kind of change that he wants to bring about.”
Might an almost certain EU referendum cause a longer-term backlash against the pound? http://t.co/z1DDkqr537pic.twitter.com/yLHuMOxdY7
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 8, 2015
According to YouGov (cough) almost half of Britons would vote to remain in the EU in case of a referendum #bbcqtpic.twitter.com/iiaZcE0A53
— Ampp3d (@ampp3d) May 8, 2015
The Latest on U.K. election: Markets happy with vote results so far but fear EU referendum: http://t.co/woyHYETmbm
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 8, 2015
EU out vote would justify second Scottish independence referendum, says Sturgeon http://t.co/17GETO8Ba3
— Scotland-US (@ScotlandUS) May 8, 2015