Cameron hails deal ‘to keep Britain in the EU’
BRITAIN is on course for a quickfire June referendum after David Cameron and Brussels stitched together a deal to keep us inside the EU.
As a draft agreement is unveiled today, the Prime Minister will claim he has made great progress in securing ‘ambitious’ changes to the terms of the UK’s membership. He will trumpet a ‘red card’ system to let Westminster block ‘unnecessary or unwanted’ EU legislation, if it can find at least 14 allies in Europe.
But Mr Cameron’s critics will argue that – despite racking up thousands of air miles flying to European capitals – he has failed to deal with the most important issue – securing control of Britain’s borders.
Crucially, the principle of freedom of movement remains untouched. Yet the PM had made limiting immigration a key issue when announcing his plan for a referendum in 2013.
European Council president Donald Tusk will officially publish a letter outlining the basis of the UK’s deal in Brussels at noon today, including an ‘emergency brake’ on
the payment of benefits to EU workers. The renegotiation, which follows eight months of what Eurosceptics have described as phoney rows, will be put to the vote at an EU summit in Brussels on February 18 or 19.
If passed, Number 10 will then be able to hold a referendum in late June. Mr Cameron will spend the next few weeks aggressively promoting the deal, while insisting there are still hurdles to overcome at the summit.
Last night, it was claimed Number 10 officials were already trying to persuade the bosses of leading FTSE companies to sign a letter backing the deal.
In the meantime, Cabinet ministers who want Britain to leave the EU will remain gagged – fuelling fears of a stitch-up.
Downing Street officials trumpeted a deal under which MPs in Westminster will be able to join forces with parliamentarians in other EU countries to block EU legislation that does not serve our interests.
The red card system will be presented as a rabbit pulled from the hat during Mr Cameron’s months of talks. It secures a Tory election manifesto commitment.
The draft proposal says that if 55 per cent of national parliaments club together, they can block or amend proposed legislation.
But critics said Britain would require the support of 14 other states and could routinely be outmanoeuvred by the 19-country eurozone. Existing EU laws would not be affected.
A Number 10 source said: ‘As the Prime Minister has said, it is national parliaments which are, and will remain, the true source of real democratic legitimacy and accountability in the EU and this breakthrough will ensure that national parliaments’ voices are heard loud and clear in Brussels.
‘Following intense discussions on the draft text throughout Monday in Brussels, further progress has been made and the president of the European Council has now confirmed that he will circulate the draft negotiating text to all member states today. A period of intense negotiation will then begin with all the other member states with the aim of securing their support for all the ambitious proposals, including this one on red cards.’
But Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, said: ‘What the Government is asking from the EU is trivial – these proposals will not take back control from the EU. These gimmicks have been ignored by the EU before and will be ignored again. The Government is asking us to trust the promises of the EU Commission and EU judges rather than taking back control.’
On Sunday night, Mr Tusk declared there was ‘no deal’ after leaving Downing Street. But last night he said ‘good progress’ had since been made and he would be publishing a ‘new settlement’ on the UK’s EU membership later today. Mr Tusk and Number 10 both insisted ‘outstanding issues’ remained.
Earlier the UK claimed ‘progress’ had been made but said there was ‘more work to do’ as officials held a ‘crucial’ day of talks with EU counterparts about the UK’s membership.
Eurosceptics dismissed the talks as a charade and claimed the idea there are major differences between the two sides is non- sense. Number 10 has pencilled in June 23 for the vote. Eurosceptics said the negotiations had ignored one of the great issues – the migration crisis raging across the Continent.
Mr Cameron will today highlight an emergency brake allowing the Government to stop paying benefits to EU workers for their first four years in the UK. Officials also say they have secured a crackdown on ‘sham marriages’ featuring EU nationals. But on free movement of workers there is no change.
SO the renegotiation deal is almost done and it’s full steam ahead for a June referendum.
The Prime Minister has been vindicated, the spin doctors say. Doubtless he’ll start aggressively selling the deal as a reason for Britain to remain in a reformed EU.
The full details of what is on offer are expected to be disclosed later today. But, for now, let’s look at what we know.
In future, national parliaments will be able to use a ‘red card’ to block EU laws. In theory this would give some semblance of national sovereignty. To exercise this veto, however, Britain would need the support of no fewer than 14 of the other 28 member states – a formidable task.
Furthermore, it applies only to new laws, so any proposals to roll back the already overmighty powers of Brussels are off the table. Is this really a breakthrough sufficient to instil confidence that Britain’s interests can be protected in a new-look Europe? Or is it just a cynical charade designed to accelerate progress towards the early referendum Mr Cameron so desperately wants?
In as little as five months, voters will be asked to take a decision which will shape Britain’s destiny for a generation or more. And before they do, they deserve the fullest possible debate.
The gag on Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers, who have so far been either bullied or bribed by Mr Cameron into silence, must end so the public can hear both sides of a pivotal argument.