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fazalihaqkhan
Joined: 26 Oct 2015
Posts: 118
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| There Will Be No Second EU Referendum |
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David Cameron has promised to end the draw that Britain's generous welfare system has on European migrants as part of his renegotiation of the country's deal with the EU.
The Prime Minister said 40% of EU migrants coming to Britain were helped by claiming benefits with the average claim of £6,000 per family.
And he said the new figures showed that it was time for Britain to reduce the taxpayer subsidies to stem the flow of EU migrants placing too great pressures on the country.
In a speech in London, in which he set out his wish list of four EU reform demands, Mr Cameron said the way to lessen the number of EU citizens coming to the UK was "by reducing the draw that our welfare system exerts across Europe".
He insisted he would deliver Conservative manifesto pledges to curb the number of European citizens coming to Europe by welfare reform - including banning EU citizens from claiming in-work benefits for the first four years.
His pledge on tackling the Freedom of Movement rules one of four objectives he has set out in a letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk.
It is this objective which is the most controversial, since other EU leaders, including Germany's Angela Merkel, regard it as breaching the principle of free movement of labour across the EU.
:: What Do PM's Four Objectives Really Mean?
Mr Cameron's four objectives are:
:: Protecting the single market for Britain and others outside the eurozone.
:: Writing competitiveness into the DNA of the whole European Union.
:: Exempting Britain from an "ever closer union" with a legally binding and irreversible agreement with other EU states
:: Tackling abuses of the right to free movement, and enabling Britain to control migration from the EU.
:: PM Heckled By Anti-EU Teen Protesters
Mr Cameron demanded a legally binding, irreversible agreement with other EU states that would exempt Britain from "ever close union" and called for groups of national parliaments to come together to block the EU.
He said that Europe should have the "flexibility of a network not the rigidity of a bloc".
And for the first time, Mr Cameron tied Britain's role in Europe to national security. He said: "So today, as we confront fresh threats and dangers to our country I am in no doubt that for Britain the European question is not just a matter of economic security, but of national security too.
"Not just a matter of jobs and trade, but of the safety and security of our nation."
The Prime Minister said there would be no second referendum and that this was a once in a generation decision for the British people. He said: "If we vote to leave, we will leave."
And he told the EU: "This is our only chance to get it right."
But he again hinted that if he did not achieve the demands he wanted from EU leaders he could be prepared to campaign for Britain to leave the union.
He said: "But if we can’t reach such an agreement and if Britain’s concerns were to be met with a deaf ear, which I do not believe will happen then we will have to think again about whether this European Union is right for us.
"As I have said before – I rule nothing out."
In an attempt to head off criticism, the Prime Minister said: "There will be those who say - here and elsewhere in the EU - that we are embarked on mission impossible. I say: why?
"I do not deny that seeking changes which require the agreement of 27 other democracies, all with their own concerns, is a big task.
"But an impossible one? I do not believe so for a minute."
:: Should Britain Stay Or Go?
Mr Cameron would not be drawn on a date for the referendum, there has been speculation it could come as early as summer, but said he hoped to make good progress at talks with EU leaders at a summit in December.
Between now and the December summit, Mr Cameron will hold more talks with European leaders, starting at a migration summit in Malta the day after his speech, to try to persuade them to back him.
:: Top 10 EU Myths Debunked
At the same time, Mr Tusk and his officials in Brussels will also embark on a process of consulting other EU countries on the British renegotiation demands.
Hardline Tory eurosceptics and campaigners for a so-called "Brexit" from the EU claim some of Mr Cameron's objectives are feeble and meaningless and others stand no chance of success.
Leading the criticism of Mr Cameron ahead of his big speech, veteran eurosceptic Tory MP Sir Bill Cash told Sky News treaty changes were needed to achieve fundamental change.
"I have great difficulty in relation to the list of demands that are being made, because all of them - almost without exception - require treaty change and you cannot get treaty change without agreement of the member states," he said.
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| Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:38 pm |
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