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| David Cameron says Britons won't accept 'rigid' EU | David Cameron says Britons won't accept 'rigid' EU |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| British voters will not accept a "rigid" EU that cannot handle the Greek crisis and the UK's demands for reform, David Cameron said. | British voters will not accept a "rigid" EU that cannot handle the Greek crisis and the UK's demands for reform, David Cameron said. |
| The PM said the union "would not work" if it could not show "flexibility". | The PM said the union "would not work" if it could not show "flexibility". |
| Mr Cameron was speaking after formally launching his bid to renegotiate the UK's membership ahead of the in/out membership promised by 2017. | Mr Cameron was speaking after formally launching his bid to renegotiate the UK's membership ahead of the in/out membership promised by 2017. |
| He also said Greece would be likely to leave the euro if it rejects its bailout terms in a referendum. | He also said Greece would be likely to leave the euro if it rejects its bailout terms in a referendum. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cameron said Britain's interests would be best served by an agreement between the Greek government and the eurozone. | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cameron said Britain's interests would be best served by an agreement between the Greek government and the eurozone. |
| "If they vote no, I find it hard to see how that's consistent with staying in the euro because there would be a very significant default and a very significant problem," he said. | "If they vote no, I find it hard to see how that's consistent with staying in the euro because there would be a very significant default and a very significant problem," he said. |
| Mr Cameron said the EU had to be flexible enough to work for countries inside and outside the eurozone. | Mr Cameron said the EU had to be flexible enough to work for countries inside and outside the eurozone. |
| "If it can't show that flexibility it won't work as an organisation and I believe the British people will see that," he said, adding: "This needs to have the flexibility of a network not the rigidity of a bloc." | "If it can't show that flexibility it won't work as an organisation and I believe the British people will see that," he said, adding: "This needs to have the flexibility of a network not the rigidity of a bloc." |
| Asked about raising his demands for reform during a summit dominated by the Greek and Mediterranean crises, the PM said there had been "very long" discussions about those two issues. | Asked about raising his demands for reform during a summit dominated by the Greek and Mediterranean crises, the PM said there had been "very long" discussions about those two issues. |
| "In the middle of that there was a brief discussion about the British situation," which "got a very good reception", he said. | |
| The PM said there were many negotiations to come - "but every journey starts with a single step, as they say". | The PM said there were many negotiations to come - "but every journey starts with a single step, as they say". |