Prime Minister David Cameron has little hope of
persuading other European Union states to return significant powers to Britain
before a promised referendum on whether to stay in the bloc, a senior member of
his pro-EU coalition partners said on Monday.
Business Secretary Vince Cable, one of the
leading figures in the Europhile Liberal Democrats, said Cameron's attempts to
negotiate a new role for Britain would probably be blocked by other members of
the 28-nation alliance, speaking at a debate on Britain's future in
Europe, Cable said Cameron would be better off working with other EU states to
reform the bloc as a whole rather than seeking special treatment for London.
Cameron said in January he would agree a
"new settlement" with the EU and hold an in/out referendum before the
end of 2017, providing he wins the 2015 election, that pledge helped appease anti-EU rebels in
his Conservative Party who were challenging his authority and delivered a shot
across the bows of the rising UK Independence Party, which wants to leave the
bloc after 40 years.
source reuters.com
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