The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Cameron to urge ‘yes’
Europe: Prime minister calls urgent Cabinet meeting to seek backing for
David Cameron hailed his historic EU re-negotiation deal, declaring that he has secured Britain’s “special status” in the 28 nation bloc.
At the end of marathon talks in Brussels, the Prime Minister said he had achieved his negotiating aims and would be recommending the agreement to the British people in a referendum now expected to be held on June 23.
“This deal has delivered on the commitments I made at the beginning of this re-negotiation process. Britain will bepermanently ministers at a meeting this morning of the Cabinet at No 10. Mr Cameron said the deal would make the UK “stronger, safer and better off” as he set out the “once in a generation moment to shape the destiny of our country” at the referendum.
“Turning our back on the EU is no solution at all,” he said. “And we should be suspicious of those who claim that leaving Europe is some automatic fast track to some land of milk and honey. We all need to step back and consider carefully what is best for Britain, what is best for our future. Whatever the British people decide, I will make work to the best of my abilities.
“But let me tell you what I believe: I donot love Brussels; I love Britain.
“And my job, the job of the British Prime Minister, is doing all in my power to protect Britain’s interests.
“So when it comes to Europe mine is a hard-headed assessment of what is in Britain’s interest.”
The changes fulfilled the reform objectives in the Conservatives’ general election manifesto and were “legally binding” and irreversible without the agreement of all EU member states including the UK, he said.
He said he was “disappointed but not surprised” that close ally, Justice SecretaryMichaelGove, would be among those campaign- ing in favour of Brexit. “He (Mr Gove) has wanted to get Britain to pull out of the European Union for about 30 years,” Mr Cameron said. “Of course, I’m disap- pointed that we’re not going to be on the same side as we have this vital argument about our country’s future - I’m disappointed but I’m not surprised.”
The new deal provides for a seven-year emergency brake on in-work benefits for EU migrant workers, as well as cuts in child benefit for their children living overseas – applicable immediately for new arrivals and from 2020 for the 34,000 existing claimants.
It also says that EU treaties will be amended to