Outers: Deal falls short, say rebels
DAVID Cameron’s EU deal falls ‘far short’ of the reform that is needed, a report by senior Conservatives said yesterday.
In a devastating analysis, the Fresh Start group of more than 100 Tory MPs said he had tried to secure reform in only half the areas where it is required.
In the other half, it found, his attempts at reform had been frustrated by fellow EU leaders.
Overall, the study concluded that Mr Cameron failed to fully achieve reform in any of the 21 areas where change is needed.
The findings were backed by a string of senior Tories, including employment minister Priti Patel, energy minister Andrea Leadsom, defence minister Penny Mordaunt, environment minister George Eustice and local government minister James Wharton.
In a statement, they said the EU had failed to ‘rise to the occasion’ and embrace reform, and urged voters to back Brexit.
Justice minister Dominic Raab, a leading member of the Fresh Start group, said the EU’s refusal to respect Britain’s demand for a looser relationship showed that the only option was to leave.
He added: ‘The fact that the deal falls so far short reflects the crucial flaw in the EU: It’s just too rigid to change. If we want to deliver more jobs, lower household bills and stronger democracy, we’ve got to step off the Brussels juggernaut now that we have the opportunity.’
The Fresh Start group was founded five years ago to draw up proposals for reshaping Britain’s relationship with Brussels. It includes many mainstream Tories and several prominent Eurosceptics.
In a joint statement yesterday, leading members praised Mr Cameron for his efforts at reform, but said they were ‘disappointed that fellow European leaders did not take this opportunity to make the reforms that Europe so desperately needs’.