David Cameron will promise an in/out referendum if the Conservatives win the next election when he makes his long-awaited speech on the EU later.
The Prime Minister wants to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU, before asking people to vote.
The British people can vote either to accept the result of the talks, or to leave the EU, Mr Cameron will say.
Labour's Ed Miliband said the speech showed the PM was "weak" and "driven by his party", not the national interest.
The referendum is thought likely to take place during the early part of the next parliament if the Conservatives win the election.
The speech had been scheduled for last Friday in the Netherlands, but was postponed because of the Algerian hostage crisis.
'Very simple choice'
The Conservative leader has been under pressure from many of his MPs to give a binding commitment to a vote on Europe.
Setting out the conditions for a future referendum, Mr Cameron will say: "The next Conservative manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next parliament.
"And when we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice to stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether. It will be an in-out referendum.
But he will say that holding an in/out referendum now would be a "false choice" because Europe is set to change following the eurozone crisis.
The speech, taking place in central London, is expected to be watched closely by other European leaders, the business community and supporters and critics within his own party.
Several Conservative MPs - who want a looser relationship with the EU focused around trade and who have been briefed about the speech - say they are "satisfied" with the thrust of what Mr Cameron is going to say.
But some europhile Conservatives, including Lord Heseltine, have warned that committing to a referendum at some point in the future on the outcome of an uncertain negotiating process is an "unnecessary gamble".
'Years of uncertainty'
The Lib Dems say pursuing a wholesale renegotiation of the UK's membership will cause uncertainty and deter foreign investment while Labour claim Mr Cameron's approach is being driven by party calculations rather than the national interest.
Fmr Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt: 'Individual re-negotiation of the British position is impossible'
Labour leader Ed Miliband said the speech would define Mr Cameron "as a weak Prime Minister, being driven by his party, not by the national economic interest".
"In October 2011, he opposed committing to an in/out referendum because of the uncertainty it would create for the country. The only thing that has changed since then is he has lost control of his party and is too weak to do what is right for the country," he said.
"Everyone knows that the priority for Britain is the jobs and growth that we need. We have had warning after warning from British business about the dangers of creating years of uncertainty for Britain.
"Britain needs a prime minister who is making change happen now in Europe, ensuring that we put jobs and growth ahead of austerity and unemployment."
Sauce (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-2
OP: There seems to be a fairly big anti-EU sentiment in the UK, which I personally think is a knee-jerk reaction. I feel that the UK pulling out of the EU will do us more harm than good. We do not have oil like Norway, we do not have an impressive banking system like Switzerland (countries that are in the EEA, but not the EU). I don't think we can economically stand on one leg, at least not for a good long while if that's our intention. The reasons anti-EU Brits tend to give for pulling out of the EU seem to relate to a misguided belief that EU citizens migrate to the UK just to claim benefits and general racism/xenophobia (think: UKIP). I think Cameron, and those before him, sense this which is why they keep putting off a referendum (big key point here: the referendum is promised IF the Tories win the next election). Interested in other people's thoughts on this. I like the EU, damnit.
The Prime Minister wants to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU, before asking people to vote.
The British people can vote either to accept the result of the talks, or to leave the EU, Mr Cameron will say.
Labour's Ed Miliband said the speech showed the PM was "weak" and "driven by his party", not the national interest.
The referendum is thought likely to take place during the early part of the next parliament if the Conservatives win the election.
The speech had been scheduled for last Friday in the Netherlands, but was postponed because of the Algerian hostage crisis.
'Very simple choice'
The Conservative leader has been under pressure from many of his MPs to give a binding commitment to a vote on Europe.
Setting out the conditions for a future referendum, Mr Cameron will say: "The next Conservative manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next parliament.
"And when we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice to stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether. It will be an in-out referendum.
But he will say that holding an in/out referendum now would be a "false choice" because Europe is set to change following the eurozone crisis.
“Everyone knows that the priority for Britain is the jobs and growth that we need.”
Ed Miliband MP
Labour leader
The speech, taking place in central London, is expected to be watched closely by other European leaders, the business community and supporters and critics within his own party.
Several Conservative MPs - who want a looser relationship with the EU focused around trade and who have been briefed about the speech - say they are "satisfied" with the thrust of what Mr Cameron is going to say.
But some europhile Conservatives, including Lord Heseltine, have warned that committing to a referendum at some point in the future on the outcome of an uncertain negotiating process is an "unnecessary gamble".
'Years of uncertainty'
The Lib Dems say pursuing a wholesale renegotiation of the UK's membership will cause uncertainty and deter foreign investment while Labour claim Mr Cameron's approach is being driven by party calculations rather than the national interest.
Fmr Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt: 'Individual re-negotiation of the British position is impossible'
Labour leader Ed Miliband said the speech would define Mr Cameron "as a weak Prime Minister, being driven by his party, not by the national economic interest".
"In October 2011, he opposed committing to an in/out referendum because of the uncertainty it would create for the country. The only thing that has changed since then is he has lost control of his party and is too weak to do what is right for the country," he said.
"Everyone knows that the priority for Britain is the jobs and growth that we need. We have had warning after warning from British business about the dangers of creating years of uncertainty for Britain.
"Britain needs a prime minister who is making change happen now in Europe, ensuring that we put jobs and growth ahead of austerity and unemployment."
Sauce (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-2
OP: There seems to be a fairly big anti-EU sentiment in the UK, which I personally think is a knee-jerk reaction. I feel that the UK pulling out of the EU will do us more harm than good. We do not have oil like Norway, we do not have an impressive banking system like Switzerland (countries that are in the EEA, but not the EU). I don't think we can economically stand on one leg, at least not for a good long while if that's our intention. The reasons anti-EU Brits tend to give for pulling out of the EU seem to relate to a misguided belief that EU citizens migrate to the UK just to claim benefits and general racism/xenophobia (think: UKIP). I think Cameron, and those before him, sense this which is why they keep putting off a referendum (big key point here: the referendum is promised IF the Tories win the next election). Interested in other people's thoughts on this. I like the EU, damnit.
(Wait, that sounded awfully Hetalia. That or Scandinavia and the World.)
I mean there are difficulties associated with the EU, especially in recent times but overall, in the long term? Being in the EU seems better than being out of it.
Also even if I was very anti-EU, the EU will STILL BE THERE- it's not dissolving after all, whether we leave it or not. It will still affect us in a very real way if we leave and 'escaping' its influence on us is pretty much impossible at this stage. The EU will affect us economically, and other decisions made there such as environmentally will still affect us too. So wouldn't it be better to still have some say in such matters and remain a part of it?
You know, it's a bit more constructive than complaining about the fact we have to abide by certain laws as a benefit for the whole- guess what? France and Germany and the rest have to technically follow things for OUR benefit too. Funnily enough, each country has its own stakes and wants what's best for them (or.. at least what they perceive as best for them).
But the Tories just need to leave. Can we have a referendum to stop the Tories from existing? I'd vote for that :T</p>
Actually, a lot of my 'anti' European sentiment is tied more to me being really fed up of Americans using the term 'Europe' as if we're one-big-lumpistan. If the EU not existing would stop that I would genuinely be up for dismantling it, it bothers me that much, ha ha.
Why? Culturally and geographically, we're European. I can't stand the Little Englander mentality, I really can't. (I am not saying you are one of those; I just don't understand why something which is factually true - your living in Europe - is so awful.)
If it's simply that you don't like us being treated as the homogenous mass, I understand, but surely very few Americans think a Romanian, a Swede, an Irish person and a French person are all the same?
Edited at 2013-01-23 12:38 pm (UTC)
As a teenager I always loved to say "I'm European" because it had a so much more positive connotation than "I'm German". I kind of got over that but I'm still really proud to be European.
and I think the whole American thing of conceiving of Europe as a unified whole has been going on for some time. hey, it's not wrong. we are continentally (is that a word?) European!
I tend to use 'on the European Continent' or something similar JUST to avoid saying Europe because of the 'lumping' connotations, pfft. Sad maybe, but it emphasises that it's a CONTINENT and not a country so it makes me feel better at least hdhdjffj
Better that - given it is actually accurate - than hearing groups of US-ians talking about how they're enjoying England... whilst standing outside Cardiff Castle.
I actually lost count of how many times I heard that in the five years I lived in Wales.
(Whilst I was living in Wales, one of my US friends sent me a parcel on which they'd put 'England' instead of 'Wales', 'United Kingdom' or 'Great Britain'. The scowl on the postie's face when he handed it over was epic.)
Personally, I want us to stay. I like the trade benefits, I like the TRAVEL benefits (seriously, how much would the price of holidays go up if we had to get visas to travel again?), I like the work benefits and I like that it puts us on a level business playing field with the rest of the Continent.
Also, I get the feeling people are just ignoring the whole Scottish-referendum-EU-debate for the sake of keeping discussions simple.
"Also, I get the feeling people are just ignoring the whole Scottish-referendum-EU-debate for the sake of keeping discussions simple."
Well, that's crap. And the other reason is probably the Westminster has spent ages banging on about how if we go independent we'll totally never be able to get into the EU, and now this happens. It's ridiculous!
Plus a lot of folk up here, aye, they have xenophobic pishy thoughts about Europe but there are reasons to oppose the EU from the left, and a lot of people do.
As a working-class northerner in a city which the EU has pumped a lot of money into, I have benefited hugely from the European Union. This idiotic mentality that we'll somehow be able to dictate to Europe or America when we are standing alone is the stuff of fantasy. We don't have an empire anymore.
But yeah, so sick of Eurosceptics you have no idea.
uhhh
Cameron is right when he says that there is a lack of democratic accountability, but throwing a strop the way the is doing right now is not it.
/rant ex-EU intern
Camshaft and his cronies form a very weak government that is pandering to EU scaremongering by the press. I do agree that there are issues with the EU that need addressing, including the lack of accountability, but we're far better off in the EU that out of it; many of the UK's most impoverished areas are dependent on EU funding.