Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, November 09, 2015

The Prime Minister and Brexit and British industry

Jennifer Biddy passed this article along (thanks). It's a good summary of the issues facing Cameron

Cameron says Britain can survive outside EU

Britain can survive outside the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday as he denied he was planning to campaign for Britain to stay in the EU regardless of the outcome of reform talks.

"The argument isn't whether Britain could survive outside of Europe. Of course it could," Cameron told the annual conference of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the country's main business lobby.

"The argument is how we could be best off," he told the group, many of whose members are concerned about the economic consequences of a possible "Brexit".

Cameron was interrupted by two protesters who stood up and chanted "Voice of Brussels!", reflecting a suspicion among eurosceptics that he has already made up his mind in favour of Britain staying in the EU… [David Cameron was heckled by protesters during his speech to the CBI and he was not happy about it]

Protesters quickly escorted out of hall

Cameron also repeated that some of Britain's demands would require changing EU treaties -- or at least a binding promise that treaties will be changed.

"What we need to change, some of it does involve changing the treaties," he said.

"What we need to do is get agreement from the other 27 EU countries that that's going to happen... We need to set out that that is legally binding and irreversible," he said.

Cameron has long identified four broad areas where he wants to see reforms -- improving competitiveness, greater "fairness" between eurozone and non-eurozone nations, sovereignty issues including an exemption from the aspiration of ever-closer union and making it harder for migrants to claim benefits.

CBI director John Cridland said ahead of the conference that most but not all business were in favour of continued EU membership…

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