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Q&A:WhatBritainwantsfromEurope
17February2016 UKPolitics

EPA

DavidCameronwantstorenegotiatethetermsoftheUK'smembershipaheadofa
referendumbytheendof2017.HehassaidhewillcampaignforBritaintoremaininthe
EUifhegetsthereformshewants.
Readmore:EverythingyouneedtoknowabouttheUK'sEUreferendum

WhatisBritainlookingfor?

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AP

MrCameronsaidhedidnotwanttorevealfulldetailsofhisnegotiatinghandbeforeserious
discussionsgetunderway.
Throughaseriesofspeechesandnewspaperarticles,hehasgivenanoverviewofhis
prioritiesbut,andinNovember,hesetdownhisobjectivesonpaperforthefirsttimeinaletter
toDonaldTusk,thepresidentoftheEuropeanCouncil.
Hisfourkeyobjectivesare:
Economicgovernance:Securinganexplicitrecognitionthattheeuroisnottheonly
currencyoftheEuropeanUnion,toensurecountriesoutsidetheeurozonearenotmaterially
disadvantaged.TheUKwantssafeguardsthatstepstofurtherfinancialunioncannotbe
imposedonnoneurozonemembersandtheUKwillnothavetocontributetoeurozone
bailouts
Competitiveness:Settingatargetforthereductionofthe"burden"ofexcessiveregulation
andextendingthesinglemarket
Immigration:RestrictingaccesstoinworkandoutofworkbenefitstoEUmigrants.
Specifically,ministerswanttostopthosecomingtotheUKfromclaimingcertainbenefits
untiltheyhavebeenresidentforfouryears.Ministershavereportedlybeenwarnedbythe
UK'stopcivilservantthiscouldbediscriminatoryandanylimitsmaybereducedtolessthan
ayear.Anoptionofan"emergencybrake"tostopthepaymentsforfouryearsisbeing
discussedasacompromisedeal
Sovereignty:AllowingBritaintooptoutfromtheEU'sfoundingambitiontoforgean"ever
closerunion"ofthepeoplesofEuropesoitwillnotbedrawnintofurtherpoliticalintegration.
GivinggreaterpowerstonationalparliamentstoblockEUlegislation.

WhatelsedoesMrCameronwant?
TheConservativeswanttofreebusinessfromredtapeand"excessiveinterference"from
Brusselsandtoprovideaccesstonewmarketsthrough"turbocharging"freetradedealswith
AmericaandAsia.
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Theyalsowanttradebarriersintheservicesanddigitalsectorstoberemovedtocreateatruly
singlemarketaswellasspecificprotectionsfortheCityofLondon.
TheysupportcontinuedenlargementoftheEUtonewmembersbutwithnewmechanismsin
placeto"preventvastmigrationsacrosstheContinent".
TheprimeministerhassaidBritainwouldresistanymovetowardsaEuropeanArmyandthathe
wantstofreeBritishpoliceforcesfromEUinterference.HehasalsoruledoutBritainjoiningthe
euro.
ButhehasplacedlessemphasisinrecentyearsondemandingchangestoEUsocialpolicy,
suchasthemaximum48hourworkingweek,agencyworkers,maternityleaveandnon
discriminationrulesamidpressurefromtradeunionstoleavesuchprotectionsintact.

Whenwillthereferendumbeheld?
TheofficialUKgovernmentpositionisthatareferendumwillbeheldbytheendof2017but
DowningStreetsourceshavesaid:"Ifwecandoitearlierwewill."itiswidelyexpectedtobe
heldinJuneorJulyifadealisreachedattheEUsummitinFebruary.

WhatabouttheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights?

HANDOUT

TheConservativeswillattempttorepealtheHumanRightsAct,whichrequiresUKcourtsto
treattheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightsassettinglegalprecedentsfortheUK,infavourofa
BritishBillofRights.
TheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightsisnotaEuropeanUnioninstitution.Itwassetupbythe
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CouncilofEurope(CoE),whichhas47membersincludingRussiaandUkraine.
DavidCameronsaysthatifnecessaryhewouldbackanewlawreassertingthepowerofthe
UKParliamentovertheEU.

Whataboutfreedomofmovement?
ThefreedomforpeopletomovearoundEurope,enshrinedintheEUtreaties,worksinparallel
withtheotherthreebasicfreedomsinthesinglemarket:freedomofgoods,capitalandservices.
Itisa"redline"forotherEUleaders,whodonotwanttoseeiteroded.
MrCameron'sdecisiontoseekthefouryearbanonsomeUKbenefitsforEUmigrantswasa
wayroundit,butanumberofEUcountriesincludingHungaryandPolandsaytheywillnot
acceptanythingwhichdiscriminatesagainsttheirnationals.
Thishasledtoreportsthattheideaofan"emergencybrake"tolimitnumberswhentherehas
beenasurgeofmigrants,mightbebackontheagenda.

WhatareDavidCameron'swelfaredemands?

PA

InaspeechinNovember2014,DavidCameronsetoutmeasurestoreducethenumberofEU
nationalsmovingtotheUK.
Hismainproposalswere:
FouryeardelayforEUmigrantswishingtoclaiminworkbenefits,suchastaxcredits,or
seekingaccesstosocialhousing
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StoppingmigrantsclaimingchildbenefitfordependentslivingoutsidetheUK
RemovingmigrantsfromtheUKaftersixmonthsiftheyhavenotfoundwork
RestrictingtherightofmigrantstobringnonEUfamilymembersintotheUK
StoppingEUjobseekersclaimingUniversalCredit
Speedingupdeportationofconvictedcriminals
LongerreentrybansforbeggarsandfraudstersremovedfromtheUK
StoppingcitizensfromnewEUentrantsworkingintheUKuntiltheireconomieshave
"convergedmoreclosely".
Extramoneyforcommunitieswithhighlevelsofmigrants

HowhaveEUleadersreacted?

PA

JeanClaudeJuncker,PresidentoftheEuropeanCommission,hassaidheisreadytoworkwith
MrCameronto"strikeafairdealfortheUnitedKingdomintheEU".
ButhisspokesmanreactedtothepublicationofMrCameron'snegotiationobjectivesbywarning
thatrestrictionsonbenefitsfornewarrivalstotheUKwouldbe"highlyproblematic"asthey
affectedthe"fundamentalfreedomsofourinternalmarket"andamountedto"direct
discriminationbetweenEUcitizens".
ThemainstickingpointhasbeenoppositionfromcountriesincludingHungaryandPolandtothe
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ideaofthefouryearbanonclaimingsomeUKbenefits.ThemessagefromtherestoftheEUis
thattherecannotbeapolicywhichdiscriminatesagainstotherEUnationals.
HoweverDavidCameronhassaidheiswillingtoconsideralternativesthathavethesame
impactonmigrationflows,whilehisEUcolleagueshavealsosaidtheywanttocomeupwitha
dealwhichachievestheUK'saims.
Readmore:DonaldTusk'sletterrespondingtoUK'srenegotiationdemands

WhatifMrCameronfailstogetthechangeshewants?
MrCameronhasfacedrepeatedcallstosaywhetherhewouldcampaignforBritain'sexitfrom
theEUinthereferendumifhefailstogetwhathewantsfromtherenegotiationprocess.Allhe
hassaidisthathewill"rulenothingout"andhehasno"emotionalattachment"totheEU.

WhatdootherConservativeMPswant?

SomeConservativeMPswantBritaintoleavetheEUnomatterwhatDavidCameronmanages
torenegotiate.AlargergrouparelikelytowantmoreconcessionsthanMrCameronhassofar
indicatedheispreparedtodemand.
SeniorbackbencherDavidDavis,whowasdefeatedbyMrCameronfortheToryleadershipin
2005,toldtheDailyTelegraphthemajorityofthe332ConservativeMPswantMrCameronto
negotiatean"optout"powertostopindividualEUlawsfromapplyingtoBritain.Theprime
ministerhassaidthiswouldbe"impossible"withoutBritainleavingtheEU.
MrDavisclaimsasmanyas60ToryMPswouldbepreparedtorebelandvoteforBritain'sexit
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fromtheEUiftheprimeministerfailstodeliver.

Willtherebeafreevoteforcabinetministers?

GrahamBrady,chairmanoftheTorybackbench1922committee,whichrepresents
backbenchers,hadurgedDavidCamerontogiveallConservativeMPs,includingministers,a
freevoteintheEUreferendumdespiteMrCameronwarninginJanuary2015thatserving
cabinetministerswouldhavetoquitthegovernmentiftheywantedtocampaigntoleavethe
EUifhehadsecuredthereformstoithewants.
ThatpositionhasnowchangedwithMrCameronagreeingtoallowcabinetministersto
campaigninapersonalcapacityoneithersideoftheEUreferendumcampaign,oncehis
renegotiationisover.
Inthe1975referendumonwhetherBritainshouldremainintheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
astheEUwasthencalled,LabourPrimeMinisterHaroldWilsondecidedtosuspendcollective
responsibilitybecausehiscabinetwassplitontheissue.
Ministerswereallowedtovotewiththeirconsciencesandcampaignagainsteachother.The
majorityofthem,includingMrWilson,joinedtheYescamp,butleftwingers,suchasTonyBenn,
playedaleadingroleintheNocampaign.TheYescampaignwoneasilywith67%ofthevote.

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OTHER

ReferendumontheUK'sfutureintheEuropeanUnion

REUTERS

TheUKistohaveareferendumbytheendof2017onwhethertoremainamemberofthe
EuropeanUnionortoleave.Thevoteisbeingproceededbyaprocessofnegotiationsinwhich
theConservativegovernmentisseekingtosecureanewdealfortheUK.
Guide:Allyouneedtoknowaboutthereferendum
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More:BBCNewsEUreferendumspecialreport

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