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| David Cameron rebukes ministers for saying they would vote to leave EU | David Cameron rebukes ministers for saying they would vote to leave EU |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has rebuked Michael Gove and Philip Hammond after they indicated that they would vote to leave the EU if a referendum on British membership were held now. | David Cameron has rebuked Michael Gove and Philip Hammond after they indicated that they would vote to leave the EU if a referendum on British membership were held now. |
| In a sign of his irritation with the two ministers, who pushed a Tory cabinet consensus on Europe to its limits, the prime minister said the question of an immediate referendum was "hypothetical". | In a sign of his irritation with the two ministers, who pushed a Tory cabinet consensus on Europe to its limits, the prime minister said the question of an immediate referendum was "hypothetical". |
| Cameron also highlighted his frustration when he said Tory ministers agreed with his plan to renegotiate Britain's EU membership, adding that ministers should spend their time improving the EU before a referendum in 2017. | Cameron also highlighted his frustration when he said Tory ministers agreed with his plan to renegotiate Britain's EU membership, adding that ministers should spend their time improving the EU before a referendum in 2017. |
| Speaking during a flight to Washington, where he will meet Barack Obama at the White House, he said: "There isn't going to be a referendum tomorrow so it is a hypothetical question." | Speaking during a flight to Washington, where he will meet Barack Obama at the White House, he said: "There isn't going to be a referendum tomorrow so it is a hypothetical question." |
| The prime minister also showed impatience with Lord Lawson and Michael Portillo, who called for Britain to leave the EU, saying it was "extraordinary" to abandon hope before he had started to renegotiate Britain's membership terms. | The prime minister also showed impatience with Lord Lawson and Michael Portillo, who called for Britain to leave the EU, saying it was "extraordinary" to abandon hope before he had started to renegotiate Britain's membership terms. |
| Downing Street acknowledged that Gove, who is highly Eurosceptic, knew he would attract banner headlines when he said on Sunday he would vote to leave the EU if an immediate referendum were held. The education secretary burnished his Eurosceptic credentials when he added on The Andrew Marr Show that Britain would enjoy "certain advantages" outside the EU. | Downing Street acknowledged that Gove, who is highly Eurosceptic, knew he would attract banner headlines when he said on Sunday he would vote to leave the EU if an immediate referendum were held. The education secretary burnished his Eurosceptic credentials when he added on The Andrew Marr Show that Britain would enjoy "certain advantages" outside the EU. |
| Sources admitted that Gove – and Hammond, who used milder language – had chosen to answer the question about an immediate referendum in a different way to the prime minister. Cameron responds to the same question by simply saying he is not happy with the status quo and highlighting his plans to renegotiate the terms of British membership. | Sources admitted that Gove – and Hammond, who used milder language – had chosen to answer the question about an immediate referendum in a different way to the prime minister. Cameron responds to the same question by simply saying he is not happy with the status quo and highlighting his plans to renegotiate the terms of British membership. |
| The prime minister indicated he expected Tory cabinet members to follow this line when he said ministers all agreed with his strategy. He called on them to work hard to reform the EU, implying he fervently hopes to campaign for a yes vote in the referendum. | The prime minister indicated he expected Tory cabinet members to follow this line when he said ministers all agreed with his strategy. He called on them to work hard to reform the EU, implying he fervently hopes to campaign for a yes vote in the referendum. |
| Cameron said: "What all Conservative cabinet ministers agree is that we should be spending the next period improving the EU and improving our relations with the EU and then putting that choice to the British public in a referendum. That is our policy. It is the right thing to do and we are all confident of success." | Cameron said: "What all Conservative cabinet ministers agree is that we should be spending the next period improving the EU and improving our relations with the EU and then putting that choice to the British public in a referendum. That is our policy. It is the right thing to do and we are all confident of success." |
| The prime minister launched a strong defence of his decision to allow ministers to abstain when backbench Tory MPs table an amendment to the Queen's speech lamenting the absence of a bill paving the way for an EU referendum. Tory backbenchers are being given a free vote. | The prime minister launched a strong defence of his decision to allow ministers to abstain when backbench Tory MPs table an amendment to the Queen's speech lamenting the absence of a bill paving the way for an EU referendum. Tory backbenchers are being given a free vote. |
| He said: "It is a very sensible approach. Coalition does throw up different circumstances. I think it is a very sensible approach to say it wouldn't be right for ministers to vote for an amendment to their own Queen's speech, so it makes sense for ministers to abstain. | He said: "It is a very sensible approach. Coalition does throw up different circumstances. I think it is a very sensible approach to say it wouldn't be right for ministers to vote for an amendment to their own Queen's speech, so it makes sense for ministers to abstain. |
| "But equally it is perfectly acceptable for Conservative MPs to vote for this amendment, which is in line with the party's policy. It is a very sensible way to go about things. I think reading some of the headlines over the weekend I think people are getting slightly overexcited." | "But equally it is perfectly acceptable for Conservative MPs to vote for this amendment, which is in line with the party's policy. It is a very sensible way to go about things. I think reading some of the headlines over the weekend I think people are getting slightly overexcited." |
| The prime minister reserved his strongest criticism for the former cabinet ministers Lawson and Portillo, who called last week for Britain to leave the EU on the grounds that Cameron's EU negotiations would fail. Cameron is planning, if re-elected in 2015 with a Tory majority, to embark on a major reform of the EU that would be put to the British people in a referendum by 2017. | The prime minister reserved his strongest criticism for the former cabinet ministers Lawson and Portillo, who called last week for Britain to leave the EU on the grounds that Cameron's EU negotiations would fail. Cameron is planning, if re-elected in 2015 with a Tory majority, to embark on a major reform of the EU that would be put to the British people in a referendum by 2017. |
| Recalling that he worked for Portillo at the Treasury in the early 1990s when he was Norman Lamont's special adviser, Cameron said: "The point I would make to these people is, to give up before a negotiation has started seems to me an extraordinary way to go about things. If you go back to the speech I made on Europe, it had a very good reception from the business community in Britain, who support it by and large, and a very good reception right across the Conservative party and Conservative supporters. | Recalling that he worked for Portillo at the Treasury in the early 1990s when he was Norman Lamont's special adviser, Cameron said: "The point I would make to these people is, to give up before a negotiation has started seems to me an extraordinary way to go about things. If you go back to the speech I made on Europe, it had a very good reception from the business community in Britain, who support it by and large, and a very good reception right across the Conservative party and Conservative supporters. |
| "It also had a reasonable reception in Europe with a number of key European players recognising this was a legitimate agenda. That's a good start to the process. So the idea of throwing in the towel before the negotiations have even started is a very strange opinion." | "It also had a reasonable reception in Europe with a number of key European players recognising this was a legitimate agenda. That's a good start to the process. So the idea of throwing in the towel before the negotiations have even started is a very strange opinion." |
| In a sign that Conservative whips are struggling to hold back the eurosceptic tide, Downing Street said it was allowing parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) to vote with the Commons amendment regretting the absence of a bill on Europe in the Queen's speech. Downing Street said ministers could either vote for the Queens speech or abstain on the amendment. | |
| As many as five PPSs are expected to vote for the amendment. Gove's parliamentary aide, Gavin Barwell, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I completely support the policy that was set out by the prime minister in January but what we need to do is to convince a sceptical electorate that we actually mean it." | |
| Stuart Andrew, PPS to the Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, also said: "My intention is to support the amendment. I'm not one for abstaining." | |
| Andrew said he was "absolutely supportive" of the prime minister's policy of seeking renegotiation of Britain's EU membership before a referendum, but believed that voters needed reassurance that they would be guaranteed a say on Europe if the Tories win the election. | |
| The shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, defended Labour's position of refusing to commit itself now to a referendum in 2017, while not ruling out the possibility of offering a public vote on Europe at some point in the future. | |
| "Labour's position is straightforward," Alexander said. "The right choice for Britain now is to maintain economic stability and try to secure growth. | |
| "We don't honestly believe that the biggest problem facing Britain today is Europe. The biggest problem is the economy. Therefore, every judgment we make – for example, in relation to our policy towards Europe – should reflect the concerns that we have about the need for economic stability. |