United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: EU referendum

Written by Linda Digby 01 Jul 2015
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: EU referendum

Prime Minister David Cameron is in uncharted territory as he lays out UK demands. The United Kingdom is staging a plebiscite on whether to stay in. If you do not give me what I need, Cameron implicitly states, then the EU’s third biggest country may quit. Many in the EU elite are bemused that the question of Europe played no role at all in the UK general election campaign, but became the number one issue on 8 May. Leaders and officials said repeatedly, with some relief, that once Cameron had won his second term they would learn the details of Britain’s aims and hopes. In vain. Cameron is being advised to remain vague’ The months ahead will be dominated by ‘technical’ and legal discussions between the lawyers, eurocrats and Downing Street aides. Senior sources in Brussels reported, ‘during the recent round of bilaterals, Philip  Hammond, the foreign secretary, told an EU colleague that the City question was the most important in the negotiations. He demanded a British veto over Eurozone and European Central Bank decisions and regulations that affect the City’.

Additional Info