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| EU deal: Cameron takes Brussels plan to cabinet as Gove leans towards Brexit – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 7.44am GMT | |
| 07:44 | |
| As a counterpoint to those EU leaders applauding the deal, those favouring Brexit said it was not enough to sway them. | |
| Ukip leader Nigel Farage wasn’t won over: | |
| This is a truly pathetic deal. Let's Leave the EU, control our borders, run our own country and stop handing £55m every day to Brussels. | |
| Labour MP Frank Field said he would be campaigning for a no vote in the referendum: | |
| The PM has failed to secure the key renegotiation requirement, namely, that we should regain control of our borders https://t.co/g6a0n48fJq | |
| The vote no campaign saw the deal as further grist to its mill: | |
| Statement on EU deal from #LeaveEU co-chair Richard Tice: “Cameron promised half a loaf, begged for a crust and brought home crumbs.” #EUCO | |
| Eurosceptic Tory MEP Daniel Hannan suggested the last-minute agreement was an act of showmanship: | |
| Britain banged the table and aggressively demanded the status quo. The EU, after some mandatory faux-agonising, agreed. #EUCO #VoteLeave | |
| And Rupert Murdoch – like Cameron – seemed convinced that Michael Gove will be campaigning for Brexit: | |
| Congratulations Michael Gove. Friends always knew his principles would overcome his personal friendships. | |
| 7.34am GMT | |
| 07:34 | |
| How special is the UK's 'special status'? | |
| Jennifer Rankin | |
| David Cameron’s tweet claiming “I have negotiated a deal to give the UK special status in the EU” has been knocked back by others involved in the deal, Jennifer Rankin reports. | |
| I have negotiated a deal to give the UK special status in the EU. I will be recommending it to Cabinet tomorrow. Press conference shortly. | |
| EU officials downplayed Cameron’s claims, pointing out that the agreement confirmed Britain’s place as the country with the largest number of opt-outs and exclusions from EU law. | |
| “Having a special status is not a reason for divorce,” said one senior official. | |
| European council president Donald Tusk said: | |
| The special status of the UK is nothing new – in fact, it is the essence of our common history. | |
| Jean-Claude Juncker pointed out that: | |
| The UK has always had special and specific status. | |
| EU officials stressed that the “self-destruct clause” remains intact, meaning that if Britain votes to leave the European Union, the deal will disappear. | |
| 7.18am GMT | |
| 07:18 | |
| Reaction to the deal | |
| European leaders have expressed their support for the deal – some more enthusiastically than others. | |
| Donald Tusk | |
| The president of the European Council said the deal had been unanimously agreed by all 28 leaders: | |
| I deeply believe the UK needs Europe and Europe needs the UK. But the final decision is in the hands of the British people. | |
| We didn’t walk away from the negotiating table. We were willing to sacrifice part of our interests for the common good, to show our unity. | |
| The #UKinEU settlement addresses all of David Cameron’s concerns without compromising our fundamental values. | |
| Angela Merkel | |
| The German chancellor said the British deal was a fair compromise that introduced “a number of very interesting and valuable changes to the EU”: | |
| We believe that with this we have given David Cameron a package with which he can campaign in Britain for Britain to stay in the European Union… | |
| I wish David Cameron all the best in the coming weeks and months. | |
| She said Germany would consider introducing similar restrictions on child benefit and rejected criticism that “we’ve given away too much” – although she conceded that the the issue of ever-closer union had been difficult to agree: | |
| That’s an emotional issue. I am one of those who are for it. | |
| Jean-Claude Juncker | |
| The president of the European Commission said the deal was fair to Britain and the other member states: | |
| The deal does not deepen cracks in our union, but builds bridges. | |
| Beata Szydło | |
| The prime minister of Poland, whose citizens in the UK are likely to be among those most affected by the rule changes on benefits, tweeted in cautious support of the deal: | |
| Today’s agreement is good news for Europe. We took care of the interests of the Polish people benefiting from social security in the member states. | |
| Enda Kenny | |
| The Irish taoiseach said he supported strongly the idea that Britian should stay in the EU, but cautioned: | |
| This is only the start of the process … The campaign begins here and it will be very challenging, given the circumstances that apply in Britain. | |
| Matteo Renzi | |
| The Italian PM sounded pleased that the summit was over: | |
| The fact that we can go home now is also a step forward because at a certain point even that wasn’t a given. | |
| 6.57am GMT | 6.57am GMT |
| 06:57 | 06:57 |
| Opening summary | Opening summary |
| Claire Phipps | Claire Phipps |
| If you’re after up-to-the-minute coverage of the aftermath of David Cameron’s EU deal – secured in a late-night coming-together in Brussels on Friday – as the prime minister takes the detail of the agreement to his fractious cabinet, then happy Saturday: you’ve come to the right place. | If you’re after up-to-the-minute coverage of the aftermath of David Cameron’s EU deal – secured in a late-night coming-together in Brussels on Friday – as the prime minister takes the detail of the agreement to his fractious cabinet, then happy Saturday: you’ve come to the right place. |
| What we know | What we know |
| David Cameron has claimed victory and pledged to campaign with “all my heart and soul” to keep Britain inside the EU after a deal was struck on Friday evening to redraw the terms of the UK’s membership. | David Cameron has claimed victory and pledged to campaign with “all my heart and soul” to keep Britain inside the EU after a deal was struck on Friday evening to redraw the terms of the UK’s membership. |
| Leaders of the other 27 member nations agreed to a deal that will see: | Leaders of the other 27 member nations agreed to a deal that will see: |
| What we don’t yet know | What we don’t yet know |
| Michael is one of my oldest and closest friends but he has wanted to get Britain to pull out of the EU for about 30 years. | Michael is one of my oldest and closest friends but he has wanted to get Britain to pull out of the EU for about 30 years. |
| So of course I am disappointed that we are not going to be on the same side as we have this vital argument about our country’s future. | So of course I am disappointed that we are not going to be on the same side as we have this vital argument about our country’s future. |
| I am disappointed but I am not surprised. | I am disappointed but I am not surprised. |
| What happens next | What happens next |
| Cameron has summoned his cabinet to a meeting on Saturday morning – reportedly the first time the cabinet has met on a Saturday since the Falklands war. | Cameron has summoned his cabinet to a meeting on Saturday morning – reportedly the first time the cabinet has met on a Saturday since the Falklands war. |
| The prime minister will announce that the government endorses the deal and will campaign for the UK to stay in the EU – but this lets off the leash those members of the cabinet who oppose membership and will now be free to campaign for a no vote. | The prime minister will announce that the government endorses the deal and will campaign for the UK to stay in the EU – but this lets off the leash those members of the cabinet who oppose membership and will now be free to campaign for a no vote. |
| Related: Innies, outies, unclears: where ministers stand on EU referendum | Related: Innies, outies, unclears: where ministers stand on EU referendum |
| Morning reading list | Morning reading list |