This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/30/uk-leaving-eu-not-heartbroken-david-cameron

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Leaving EU would not break my heart, says David Cameron Leaving EU would not break my heart, says David Cameron
(about 1 hour later)
David Cameron has said the European Union is not a matter of the heart for him, suggesting he would not be too emotional about whether Britain stays or goes in a referendum. David Cameron has said the EU is not a matter of the heart for him, suggesting he would not be too emotional about whether Britain stays or goes in a referendum.
The prime minister has been coy about whether he would argue for the UK to leave the EU if he cannot secure reforms in Brussels before the referendum he has promised to hold by the end of 2017.The prime minister has been coy about whether he would argue for the UK to leave the EU if he cannot secure reforms in Brussels before the referendum he has promised to hold by the end of 2017.
However, he has increasingly been hinting that he may be prepared to do so, saying on Sunday: “If I thought that it wasn’t in Britain’s interests to be in the European Union I wouldn’t argue for us to be in it,’ Cameron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme. However, he has increasingly been hinting that he may be prepared to do so. “If I thought that it wasn’t in Britain’s interests to be in the European Union I wouldn’t argue for us to be in it,” Cameron told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme on Sunday. His latest comments imply he would not fight as hard for Britain to stay in the EU as he did for Scotland to remain in the union.
His latest comments imply he would not fight as hard for Britain to stay in the EU as he did for Scotland to stay in the union.
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that if he would be “heartbroken” about Scotland leaving the UK, what would he feel about the UK leaving the EU, Cameron said: “I feel about 1,000 times more strongly about our United Kingdom than the European Union. I think the best answer for Britain is a reformed position in the EU because we’re a trading nation, we don’t just want access to those markets, we want a say over the rules. But let’s be frank, it’s not working properly for us at the moment. The single currency has driven process of change that has alienated in people in Europe.”Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that if he would be “heartbroken” about Scotland leaving the UK, what would he feel about the UK leaving the EU, Cameron said: “I feel about 1,000 times more strongly about our United Kingdom than the European Union. I think the best answer for Britain is a reformed position in the EU because we’re a trading nation, we don’t just want access to those markets, we want a say over the rules. But let’s be frank, it’s not working properly for us at the moment. The single currency has driven process of change that has alienated in people in Europe.”
Cameron has been under pressure to harden his position on Europe in the face of a string of defections by Tory rightwingers to Ukip, who accuse the prime minister of being unlikely to keep his promise to hold an in-out referendum by 2017 if the Conservatives cling on to power. Cameron has been under pressure to harden his position on Europe amid a string of defections by Tory rightwingers to Ukip, who accuse the prime minister of being unlikely to keep his promise to hold an in-out referendum by 2017 if the Conservatives cling on to power.
Many backbenchers would like to see Cameron set out more clearly exactly what he would like to renegotiate with Brussels and state unequivocally that he would be prepared to campaign for Britain to leave the EU if he does not get what he wants. Many backbenchers would like to see Cameron outline more clearly exactly what he would like to renegotiate with Brussels and state unequivocally that he would be prepared to campaign for Britain to leave the EU if he does not get what he wants.
On Monday night, Boris Johnson, the London mayor and a potential challenger for the Tory leadership, said Britain “could do better” outside the EU if Brussels fails to deliver reform. On Monday, Boris Johnson, the London mayor and a potential challenger for the Tory leadership, said Britain could do better outside the EU if Brussels failed to deliver reform.