Tories attack PM over vow to keep us in EU

PM angers Eurosceptics by ‘showing his hand’

DAVID Cameron was facing an angry Tory backlash over Europe last night, after appearing to rule out Britain ever leaving the EU under his leadership.

The Prime Minister said he wanted a ‘new settlement’ with Europe, but suggested this would stop short of Britain quitting the EU.

Mr Cameron criticised Eurosceptics who want to leave, saying their vision for Britain would create ‘a sort of greater Switzerland... that would be a complete denial of our national interest’.

Downing Street sources last night insisted the Prime Minister’s remarks had not been setting out his negotiating position and had simply been restating that he did not want a referendum on the issue now.

But Tory critics accused him of giving away his hand, and making it far harder for Britain to claw back power from Brussels.

Asked whether he could ever envisage campaigning for Britain to leave the EU, Mr Cameron replied: ‘I don’t think we should leave the EU.

‘But I think we should be, over time, seeking a new settlement and receiving a new mandate for that settlement. Because I think the change taking place in Europe is very profound. I’m an optimist. I think this is perfectly possible.’

He went on: ‘There are some people who want to leave. It’s a perfectly honourable position. I don’t happen to share it.

‘I think Britain is too big a trading nation with too much invested in trading, in dealing with our European allies to put ourselves in a sort of Norwegian situation.’

His comments dismayed Eurosceptic Tories, who believe the party is at risk of becoming out of step with the public mood.

David Nuttall, who led a major Commons rebellion over Europe last year, said the Prime Minister’s stance would make it far harder for him to achieve his stated aim of securing a better deal for Britain in Europe.

Mr Nuttall said: ‘By ruling out ever leaving he is signalling to the rest of Europe that they can refuse our demands safe in the knowledge that we will still be there picking up the cheque. Only by making it clear that we might leave is there going to be any chance of them considering a serious renegotiation.’

Senior backbencher Bernard Jenkin said the Prime Minister’s decision to limit his options before negotiations even open was inexplicable.

Mr Jenkin said: ‘In politics you can never say never.

‘I do not know why he has put this card face up on the negotiating table – I do not understand whose support it will get the

‘We cannot trust ministers’

Conservative Party.’ Fellow Eurosceptic Douglas Carswell said Mr Cameron’s comments made a mockery of his pledge to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU before putting the new deal to a possible referendum.

Mr Carswell said: ‘If you are serious about renegotiation you would not say we are going to accept membership terms at any price, which is in effect what he has just done. I’m afraid the Prime Minister’s comments reveal a great deal about the Whitehall mindset. It reminds us why we cannot trust ministers and mandarins with this.’

But a senior Downing Street source said it was ‘disingenuous’ to suggest the Prime Minister had ruled out Britain leaving the EU. The source said: ‘He was simply restating our current view that he doesn’t think we should leave the EU.

‘Of course we wouldn’t get into our negotiating stance, maybe years hence, over a referendum.

‘ He is certainly not saying what our negotiating position might be.’

Last week Foreign Secretary William Hague announced a major audit of the impact of the EU’s powers in Britain.

The study is seen by some as a possible basis for negotiating a looser deal with Brussels.

The row came as new figures this week revealed Britain is exporting more goods to countries outside the EU than inside it for the first time since we joined the Common Market in the 1970s.