Between 2010 and 2015, when he was head of a Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition, David Cameron said that, should he be re-elected in 2015, he will promise the British people an EU in/out referendum in 2017.
He also made it clear that he wanted the EU to implement certain reforms to make it a better organisation, including allowing Britain to opt-out from the EU ambition to forge an "ever closer union" of the peoples of Europe.
But during those five years most EU leaders and officials ignored Cameron's calls for reform and said such reforms were unlikely ever to take place.
But now that Cameron has won the 2015 election and will now definitely give the British people an EU in/out referendum in 2017 (or maybe even next year), can the rest of the EU continue to ignore Britain any longer? Because Cameron has said that if he gets the EU reforms that he wants then he will campaign for Britain to remain in the EU during the referendum campaign. But if the reforms that he wants are not implemented, then he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU.
There is a very good chance that, should Britain not get the reforms she wants within the EU, she will vote to leave the EU in 2016 or 2017 - and the EU needs Britain more than Britain needs the EU. So the EU's other leaders may now have no choice but to listen to Cameron, who has suddenly found himself in a strong position.
Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe
BBC
12 May 2015
David Cameron says he has a mandate to pursue EU reform following the Conservatives' general election victory. The PM, who will be hoping his majority government will give him extra leverage in Brussels, wants to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership ahead of a referendum by 2017.
What is Britain looking for?
Mr Cameron has said he does not want to reveal full details of his negotiating hand but he has given a broad indication, in a series of speeches and newspaper articles, of his priorities when he goes into talks with other EU leaders.
These are:
Allowing Britain to opt-out from the EU ambition to forge an "ever closer union" of the peoples of Europe
Restricting access to in-work and out-of-work benefits to EU migrants
Giving greater powers to national parliaments to block EU legislation
Supporting the continued enlargement of the EU to new members but with new mechanisms in place to "prevent vast migrations across the Continent"
Freeing business from red tape and "excessive interference" from Brussels and providing access to new markets through "turbo charging" free trade deals with America and Asia
Protection for the City of London financial markets from EU legislation
Creating safeguards to ensure changes in the single market cannot be imposed on non-eurozone members by the eurozone
What else does Mr Cameron want?
If Cameron gets the EU reforms he wants, he will campaign for Britain to stay in the EU during the referendum. If he doesn't get the reforms he wants, he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU in the referendum
The prime minister has said Britain would resist any move towards a European Army and that he wants to free British police forces from EU interference. He has also ruled out Britain joining the euro.
But he has placed less emphasis in recent years on demanding changes to EU social policy, such as the maximum 48-hour working week, agency workers, maternity leave and non-discrimination rules.
What about the European Court of Human Rights?
The new Conservative government will attempt to withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, in favour of a British Bill of Rights.
The convention and the European Court of Human Rights that enforces it are not European Union institutions. The court was set up by the Council of Europe (CoE), which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine.
Withdrawing from the convention would make it easier for Mr Cameron to introduce the migrant restrictions he wants, but critics have warned that it could threaten Britain's EU membership because member states are required to be CoE members.
What about freedom of movement?
The freedom for people to move around Europe, enshrined in the EU treaties, works in parallel with the other three basic freedoms in the single market: freedom of goods, capital and services.
It is likely to be a "red line" for other EU leaders, who do not want to see it eroded.
Mr Cameron has steered clear of tackling it directly - for example by asking for an emergency "brake" on free movement, or a cap on numbers - focusing instead on reducing the incentive provided by welfare payments.
What are David Cameron's welfare demands?
In a speech last November, David Cameron set out measures to reduce the number of EU nationals moving to the UK.
His main proposals were:
Four year delay for EU migrants wishing to claim in-work benefits, such as tax credits, or seeking access to social housing
Stopping migrants claiming child benefit for dependents living outside the UK
Removing migrants from the UK after six months if they have not found work
Restricting the right of migrants to bring non-EU family members into the UK
Stopping EU jobseekers claiming Universal Credit
Speeding up deportation of convicted criminals
Longer re-entry bans for beggars and fraudsters removed from the UK
Stopping citizens from new EU entrants working in the UK until their economies have "converged more closely".
Extra money for communities with high levels of migrants
How have EU leaders reacted?
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, has said he is ready to work with Mr Cameron to "strike a fair deal for the United Kingdom in the EU".
The leaders of other EU nations have previously warned they are unlikely to support major changes to EU treaties to accommodate British demands. But Mr Cameron's general election victory may have given him extra leverage.
"The ball is very much in the court of the UK now," a senior EU official told The Guardian. "It's up to the British to define what they want."
The key figure will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is very keen to keep Britain in the EU but has so far been unwilling to make major concessions to enable that to happen. There are fears that a "pick and mix" approach to EU treaties would undermine EU cohesion.
What are the sticking points?
Mr Cameron has said there is "no doubt" his planned reforms will require changes to the treaties governing the European Union. But this would require the unanimous support of all EU members, and may not be possible within the deadline he has set of a referendum before the end of 2017.
Any attempt to change EU laws on free movement would meet fierce resistance from some EU nations, particularly Eastern European states. Mr Juncker has said free movement is non-negotiable.
Mr Cameron may find it difficult to get unanimous support for his proposals for a four-year waiting period for migrant workers claiming UK benefits. East European EU members would be likely to oppose this, on the grounds that it would discriminate against their citizens.
Attempts to secure opt-outs for the City are unlikely to go down well with other European leaders.
However, there are precedents for EU treaty changes to accommodate some countries' specific concerns - for example, the protocol attached to the Lisbon Treaty for Ireland.
What if Mr Cameron fails to get the changes he wants?
Mr Cameron has faced repeated calls to say whether he would campaign for Britain's exit from the EU in the referendum if he fails to get what he wants from the renegotiation process. All he has said is that he will "rule nothing out".
What do other Conservative MPs want?
Some Conservative MPs want Britain to leave the EU no matter what David Cameron manages to renegotiate. A larger group are likely to want more concessions than Mr Cameron has so far indicated he is prepared to demand.
Senior backbencher David Davis, who was defeated by Mr Cameron for the Tory leadership in 2005, told the Daily Telegraph the majority of the 332 Conservative MPs want Mr Cameron to negotiate an "opt-out" power to stop individual EU laws from applying to Britain. The prime minister has said this would be "impossible" without Britain leaving the EU.
Mr Davis claims as many as 60 Tory MPs would be prepared to rebel and vote for Britain's exit from the EU if the prime minister fails to deliver.
Graham Brady, chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 committee, which represents backbenchers, has urged Mr Cameron to give all MPs, including ministers, a free vote in the EU referendum.
EU
Number of Member States: 28
Largest Member State (area): France
Smallest Member State: (area): Malta
Most populous Member State: Germany (80.7 million)
Least popukous Member State: Malta (422,000)
Founding Member States (1957): Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany
Total land area: 1,669,808 sq mi (larger than India)
Population: 507 million
GDP: $19.035 trillion (largest economy)
Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe - BBC News
He also made it clear that he wanted the EU to implement certain reforms to make it a better organisation, including allowing Britain to opt-out from the EU ambition to forge an "ever closer union" of the peoples of Europe.
But during those five years most EU leaders and officials ignored Cameron's calls for reform and said such reforms were unlikely ever to take place.
But now that Cameron has won the 2015 election and will now definitely give the British people an EU in/out referendum in 2017 (or maybe even next year), can the rest of the EU continue to ignore Britain any longer? Because Cameron has said that if he gets the EU reforms that he wants then he will campaign for Britain to remain in the EU during the referendum campaign. But if the reforms that he wants are not implemented, then he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU.
There is a very good chance that, should Britain not get the reforms she wants within the EU, she will vote to leave the EU in 2016 or 2017 - and the EU needs Britain more than Britain needs the EU. So the EU's other leaders may now have no choice but to listen to Cameron, who has suddenly found himself in a strong position.
Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe
BBC
12 May 2015
David Cameron says he has a mandate to pursue EU reform following the Conservatives' general election victory. The PM, who will be hoping his majority government will give him extra leverage in Brussels, wants to renegotiate the terms of the UK's membership ahead of a referendum by 2017.
What is Britain looking for?
Mr Cameron has said he does not want to reveal full details of his negotiating hand but he has given a broad indication, in a series of speeches and newspaper articles, of his priorities when he goes into talks with other EU leaders.
These are:
Allowing Britain to opt-out from the EU ambition to forge an "ever closer union" of the peoples of Europe
Restricting access to in-work and out-of-work benefits to EU migrants
Giving greater powers to national parliaments to block EU legislation
Supporting the continued enlargement of the EU to new members but with new mechanisms in place to "prevent vast migrations across the Continent"
Freeing business from red tape and "excessive interference" from Brussels and providing access to new markets through "turbo charging" free trade deals with America and Asia
Protection for the City of London financial markets from EU legislation
Creating safeguards to ensure changes in the single market cannot be imposed on non-eurozone members by the eurozone
What else does Mr Cameron want?
If Cameron gets the EU reforms he wants, he will campaign for Britain to stay in the EU during the referendum. If he doesn't get the reforms he wants, he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU in the referendum
The prime minister has said Britain would resist any move towards a European Army and that he wants to free British police forces from EU interference. He has also ruled out Britain joining the euro.
But he has placed less emphasis in recent years on demanding changes to EU social policy, such as the maximum 48-hour working week, agency workers, maternity leave and non-discrimination rules.
What about the European Court of Human Rights?
The new Conservative government will attempt to withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, in favour of a British Bill of Rights.
The convention and the European Court of Human Rights that enforces it are not European Union institutions. The court was set up by the Council of Europe (CoE), which has 47 members including Russia and Ukraine.
Withdrawing from the convention would make it easier for Mr Cameron to introduce the migrant restrictions he wants, but critics have warned that it could threaten Britain's EU membership because member states are required to be CoE members.
What about freedom of movement?
The freedom for people to move around Europe, enshrined in the EU treaties, works in parallel with the other three basic freedoms in the single market: freedom of goods, capital and services.
It is likely to be a "red line" for other EU leaders, who do not want to see it eroded.
Mr Cameron has steered clear of tackling it directly - for example by asking for an emergency "brake" on free movement, or a cap on numbers - focusing instead on reducing the incentive provided by welfare payments.
What are David Cameron's welfare demands?
In a speech last November, David Cameron set out measures to reduce the number of EU nationals moving to the UK.
His main proposals were:
Four year delay for EU migrants wishing to claim in-work benefits, such as tax credits, or seeking access to social housing
Stopping migrants claiming child benefit for dependents living outside the UK
Removing migrants from the UK after six months if they have not found work
Restricting the right of migrants to bring non-EU family members into the UK
Stopping EU jobseekers claiming Universal Credit
Speeding up deportation of convicted criminals
Longer re-entry bans for beggars and fraudsters removed from the UK
Stopping citizens from new EU entrants working in the UK until their economies have "converged more closely".
Extra money for communities with high levels of migrants
How have EU leaders reacted?
Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, has said he is ready to work with Mr Cameron to "strike a fair deal for the United Kingdom in the EU".
The leaders of other EU nations have previously warned they are unlikely to support major changes to EU treaties to accommodate British demands. But Mr Cameron's general election victory may have given him extra leverage.
"The ball is very much in the court of the UK now," a senior EU official told The Guardian. "It's up to the British to define what they want."
The key figure will be German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is very keen to keep Britain in the EU but has so far been unwilling to make major concessions to enable that to happen. There are fears that a "pick and mix" approach to EU treaties would undermine EU cohesion.
What are the sticking points?
Mr Cameron has said there is "no doubt" his planned reforms will require changes to the treaties governing the European Union. But this would require the unanimous support of all EU members, and may not be possible within the deadline he has set of a referendum before the end of 2017.
Any attempt to change EU laws on free movement would meet fierce resistance from some EU nations, particularly Eastern European states. Mr Juncker has said free movement is non-negotiable.
Mr Cameron may find it difficult to get unanimous support for his proposals for a four-year waiting period for migrant workers claiming UK benefits. East European EU members would be likely to oppose this, on the grounds that it would discriminate against their citizens.
Attempts to secure opt-outs for the City are unlikely to go down well with other European leaders.
However, there are precedents for EU treaty changes to accommodate some countries' specific concerns - for example, the protocol attached to the Lisbon Treaty for Ireland.
What if Mr Cameron fails to get the changes he wants?
Mr Cameron has faced repeated calls to say whether he would campaign for Britain's exit from the EU in the referendum if he fails to get what he wants from the renegotiation process. All he has said is that he will "rule nothing out".
What do other Conservative MPs want?
Some Conservative MPs want Britain to leave the EU no matter what David Cameron manages to renegotiate. A larger group are likely to want more concessions than Mr Cameron has so far indicated he is prepared to demand.
Senior backbencher David Davis, who was defeated by Mr Cameron for the Tory leadership in 2005, told the Daily Telegraph the majority of the 332 Conservative MPs want Mr Cameron to negotiate an "opt-out" power to stop individual EU laws from applying to Britain. The prime minister has said this would be "impossible" without Britain leaving the EU.
Mr Davis claims as many as 60 Tory MPs would be prepared to rebel and vote for Britain's exit from the EU if the prime minister fails to deliver.
Graham Brady, chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 committee, which represents backbenchers, has urged Mr Cameron to give all MPs, including ministers, a free vote in the EU referendum.
EU
Number of Member States: 28
Largest Member State (area): France
Smallest Member State: (area): Malta
Most populous Member State: Germany (80.7 million)
Least popukous Member State: Malta (422,000)
Founding Member States (1957): Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany
Total land area: 1,669,808 sq mi (larger than India)
Population: 507 million
GDP: $19.035 trillion (largest economy)
Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe - BBC News
Last edited:
