United Kingdom

PM puts price on support for treaty change

Published on 7 December 2011

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“Cameron names his price,” headlines The Times. Ahead of Friday’s crucial EU summit to save the euro, the British PM has penned an op-ed piece in the august British daily, arguing that the price of his support for a recast Europe will be “safeguards for the City of London”.

“Our biggest national interest,” the PM writes, “is that the eurozone sorts out its problems.”

But just as Germany and others have their requirements for treaty change to strengthen fiscal discipline, so Britain has its requirements for treaty change too. If we are changing the treaty that applies to all EU countries and allowing the eurozone countries to have new rules, it is also important that there are rules to keep the single market fair and open for key industries for Britain, including financial services.

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The Prime Minister also warned the German Chancellor and President Sarkozy of France that they could not ignore Britain even if the 17 eurozone members agreed new rules without the rest of the European Union.

The Times also notes that although Mr Cameron still evokes the need to repatriate powers from Brussels to London –

… his message will disappoint those Tory MPs who have been urging him to seize the moment and insist on loosening Britain’s ties with the EU before agreeing to a more integrated eurozone.

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