Posted on 06/30/2012 8:32:14 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
David Cameron has opened the door to a historic referendum on Britain’s future relationship with the European Union — declaring that voters need a “real choice”.
The Prime Minister uses an article in The Sunday Telegraph to say that Britain is in danger of getting swamped by EU legislation and bureaucracy which he would like to see scrapped. He makes clear for the first time that changes will need the “full-hearted support of the British people” down the line and adds: “For me the two words 'Europe’ and 'referendum’ can go together.”
Mr Cameron’s landmark move comes as Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, prepares to up the stakes by calling for an immediate renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU. If other member states fail to back this solution, Dr Fox believes, there should be a referendum with the government recommending pulling the UK out of the EU.
This newspaper has learned that Dr Fox, the standard bearer of the Tory right, will tell activists tomorrow: “For my own part, life outside the EU holds no terror. We have not moved the goalposts. But they have been moved nevertheless. We must now respond.”
The former cabinet minister’s clarion call is likely to be greeted with delight by Eurosceptics on the Right of the party — a constituency which Mr Cameron has had difficulty in the past convincing that he is on the correct track.
The dramatic developments come in the wake of last week’s Brussels summit in which leaders of the eurozone countries took the first steps toward a rescue plan for the single currency. At the same time, approximately 100 Conservative MPs wrote a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to legislate for a referendum on Britain’s relationship with the EU to
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I see Cameron can no longer afford the luxury of being the oxymoronic “liberal conservative”. His own party is forcing him to stand up for ideals he may not believe in. Too bad the GOP is not like that . . .
He is PM of a coalition. A bit of a sticky wicket.
yitbos
You still don’t act more like your coalition partner than the party you’re part of.
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