Cameron says his deal makes the UK "special". Is that really so?
UK's Cameron says leaving the EU would be a "leap in the dark" UK PM speaking to the BBC this morning following yesterday's referendum date presser. Cameron has understandably been keen to start on the front foot and he's been quick out of the blocks this morning.
- UK would be stronger and safer in the EU and needed to be in to influence decisions
- leaving the EU would not stem the flow of migrants coming to UK
- UK would still have to contribute financially to the EU, even if it left
- leaving the UK would give an "illusion of sovereignty" but not full control
"We are going to set out in the coming days proposals... to make clear that British parliament is sovereign" Cameron told the BBC but refused to give further details further details.
The Beeb have more here
Cameron has also been urging Tory talisman Boris Johnson to back him. An Ipsos MORI poll showed Johnson, 51, is second only to Cameron when it comes to swaying public opinion on Europe. One in three voters said Johnson would be important in helping them decide which way to vote, the poll showed.
"The prospect of linking arms with Nigel Farage and George Galloway and taking a leap into the dark is the wrong step for our country and if Boris, and if others, really care about being able to get things done in our world then the EU is one of the ways in which we get them done."
So far Johnson has yet to declare his intentions but is widely touted to join the Leave campaign and due to publish his views in his regular Telegraph newspaper column due to be published at 22.00 GMT today
Defying Cameron, London Mayor Boris to campaign for British exit from EU London Mayor Boris Johnson said on Sunday he backed leaving the European Union, dealing a blow to Prime Minister David Cameron by giving the "out" campaign a de facto leader who is one of the most charismatic politicians in British politics.
Forty-three years after Britain joined the EU's predecessor, Cameron announced a June 23 referendum on Saturday after clinching a deal from 27 other leaders to give Britain what he said was a special status.
But Boris, one of Britain's most high-profile politicians, remained silent on Cameron's deal for nearly two days before making his dramatic announcement on the steps of his north London home.
"I will be advocating Vote Leave ... because I want a better deal for the people of this country to save them money and to take back control," Johnson told a crowd of reporters.
The move deepened a divide in Cameron's ruling Conservative Party and betting odds against a British exit shortened to 2/1 (a 33 percent chance) from 12/5 (29 percent).
Johnson, a political showman whose buffoonish and eccentric exterior masks fierce ambition to succeed Cameron, dismissed questions about whether the announcement was a bid for the future leadership of the Conservative Party.
Johnson said the decision to oppose Cameron had been "agonizingly difficult" and praised his renegotiation effort, but that ultimately the reforms agreed in Brussels had fallen far short of meaningful change on issues like sovereignty.
"I don't see how, having worried about this issue for quite so long and having fulminated for quite so long about the lack of democracy in the EU, I can then pass up what I think will be the only chance any of us have in our lifetimes to put an alternative point of view," he said.
New Poll Shows Britons Tightly Split on EU Membership The 'remain' camp is in the lead by 12 points against those who said they would vote to leave the common bloc, a ComRes poll showed on Wednesday.
The survey showed the gap between the two camps narrowed by 6 points since the last poll, suggesting that public opinion on the UK's membership in the EU remains tightly split.
Despite Prime Minister David Cameron securing a new settlement with the EU last week, the British people remain sceptical about the deal, as 42% of those asked think Cameron failed in Brussels.
Britons also remain convinced that the level of immigration will decrease only when Britain leaves the common bloc. When asked on the impact on the economy, the majority of respondents said their country would be better off inside the bloc.
The ICM survey from February 22 showed 42% support for the 'remain' camp, against 40% for the 'leave'. A Survation poll from February 20 showed a bigger gap between the two camps, with 48% wanting Britain to stay and 33% wanting to leave.
Cameron announced on Saturday that the in/out referendum would be held on June 23 this year.
Britain's justice minister says EU deal could be reversed Britain's deal with the European Union on new membership terms could be undone by the European Court of Justice despite support from all member states, Justice Secretary Michael Gove - a leading member of the "Leave" campaign - told the BBC.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Downing Street office rejected the argument, saying the deal was an irreversible decision in international law that required the European court to take it into account.
Gove, considered a policy heavyweight in the British cabinet, is a close friend and political ally of Cameron, but the men are on opposite sides of the debate ahead of a June 23 referendum on whether to stay in or withdraw from the EU.
Gove does not have the popular appeal of London Mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the ruling Conservative Party to come out in favor of a "Brexit", but as Justice Secretary Gove's views on the legal issues will carry weight.
"The facts are that the European Court of Justice is not bound by this agreement until treaties are changed and we don't know when that will be," Gove told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Wednesday morning.
He said Cameron was "absolutely right that this is a deal between 28 nations all of whom believe it" and said that the prime minister had "not been misleading anyone".
"I do think it's important that people also realize that the European Court of Justice stands above every nation state, and ultimately it will decide on the basis of the treaties and this deal is not yet in the treaties," Gove said.
Downing Street issued a statement rejecting Gove's line of argument.
"It is not true that this deal is not legally binding. Britain's new settlement in the EU has legal force and is an irreversible International Law Decision that requires the European Court of Justice to take it into account," it said.
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UK PM in recent comments before his cabinet meeting, now underway.
Following on from Ryan's comprehensive, in-the-moment, report last night the UK is now awash with media coverage as Cameron gathers his government.
I'm not so sure the deal- a legally binding and irreversible one according to the EU Council communique - makes the UK special per se and there are plenty of prominent dissenters to make this campaign a long and bitterly fought contest but Cameron will be pleased with what he's brought back however hollow in real terms given his opening position. EU leaders in the end took the easy way out and settled for a "better-the-devil-you-know" outcome but Cameron's deal was a diluted one.
The immediate matter for markets/traders now is not the end-result of a referendum widely touted to be 23 June as I've mentioned here a few times ( Cameron will hold a press conference and the announce the date today after his cabinet meeting) but as Ryan points out the uncertainty remains and focus will be on the countless number of polls leading into the event.
Whether you like it/agree with it or not this is a big event both for UK voters and GBP traders worldwide. A market does what a market is, and right now as much/more than ever the market is a herd of lemmings prepared to jump off a cliff in search of the next few pips. Some longer term traders will already be planning their strategy and will sit out the lead-in bun fight but for many it will be the fickle comment by comment/ poll by poll action and reaction that will be all consuming.
Yes I think we can expect some further GBP demand now we have something a little more concrete but I'm not ready to abandon my bearish/sell-rally tones anytime soon.
We need to see the small print of the deal and evaluate the pros and cons of the UK existing outside of the EU should that happen and I still say that's more than a figment of EU-sceptic imaginations.
There will be some heavy hitters campaigning to leave including close Cameron aide Michael Gove and, it is widely anticipated, the enigmatic Boris Johnson. Yes, homo sapien is conservative by nature as we saw in both the Scottish referendum and last year's UK general election but the issue of Europe is one that strikes a different chord and is non-political. Convincing arguments made to leave the EU will not fall on deaf ears. Cameron's decision/capitulation to allow his MPs a free vote and campaign on a personal view may yet come back to bite him up the backside.
Either way the gloves are off and the real battle is about to begin. Yes, be prepared to get bored by all the coverage but don't underestimate the impact it will bring or how close the contest may be. Opportunities both sides of the GBP price will be plentiful and don't forget that this EU/UK deal opens up a whole new debate on how much the EU/Eurozone can and will change in the future.
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