Cameron defends EU strategy

David Cameron refused to temper his language on Europe as he told business leaders the threat of leaving the European Union is essential to secure reforms.
David Cameron defended his EU policy in front of business leadersDavid Cameron defended his EU policy in front of business leaders
David Cameron defended his EU policy in front of business leaders

As the Confederation of British Industry said four out of five members would vote to remain in the EU, the Prime Minister told its annual conference his promise of negotiations followed by a referendum was designed to produce a more pro-business Europe.

Mr Cameron said: “I agree with what the CBI has said: we should be looking for a reformed European Union.

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“Now I am the politician who has the plan for that reform, who wants to see the single market safeguarded and not have us ordered around by the single currency countries, who wants to make sure we belong to a Europe that is about a common market and co-operation and not about ever-closer union.

“And I want to be part of a Europe that addresses people’s concerns including concerns about immigration.”

He added: “I am clear: these things can be done. These things can be negotiated and we can then hold that referendum and give people a proper choice about staying in a reformed European Union or opting not to belong to it.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband told the CBI conference the Prime Minister’s approach represents a “clear and present danger” to the British economy.

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In a clear dig at Mr Miliband, the Prime Minister described his plan as a “strategy to secure the best future for Britain.”

“Simply standing here and just saying ‘I will stay in Europe, I will stick with whatever we have come what may’ that is not a strategy, that is not a plan and that will not work.”

The Prime Minister dismissed concerns that his European strategy was creating uncertainty for business.

He said: “Sometimes people say to me that by raising issues about Europe and European reform, doesn’t that make life less predictable? I would argue quite the opposite.

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“The worst thing for us to do as a country is to pretend this European debate isn’t happening. The best thing to do is to get out there, make the arguments, make the changes and then put that to the British people.”

Mr Cameron’s call for the EU to address concerns about immigration came as Home Secretary Theresa May appeared to downgrade the Government’s commitment to reduce the number of people entering the UK.

The Conservative manifesto for the 2010 election referred to the “goal” of reducing immigration below 100,000 people a year and Mr Cameron repeated it as Prime Minister in a speech in 2011, saying he would get immigration to levels the country could manage, and adding: “No ifs. No buts. That’s a promise we made to the British people. And it’s a promise we are keeping.”

But in an interview with the BBC, Mrs May appeared to water down the commitment, saying: “When we made that, er, comment... we said we would be aiming to bring the net migration down to the tens of thousands and we wanted to do that within this parliament. Yes, we were very clear that’s what we wanted to do.”

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Challenged at a Westminster briefing over whether the promise was being downgraded, Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said: “There is no change. That remains the objective towards which the Prime Minister and others are working.”