Renegotiation completed with Brussels

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...eferendum.html

Cabinet members prepare to defy David Cameron on EU referendum as negotiations between EU-UK Deal come to an end

Ministers warn they will speak out against the Prime Minister's European Union deal, which they are warning will not cut the number of migrants coming to the UK.

Cabinet ministers are threatening to defy David Cameron by publicly speaking out against his deal with the European Union, which they are warning will fail to cut migration. The Prime Minister was handed an offer on Tuesday by Brussels which critics said contained only "watered-down" pledges. The deal will give EU migrants “gradually increasing access” to benefits after they come to the UK - as opposed to the outright ban Mr Cameron had previously demanded.

Despite critics describing the deal as “pathetic” and “insubstantial”, Mr Cameron welcomed the offer by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, and said he “sure would” take the deal being offered. Last night Cabinet sources accused Mr Cameron of effectively beginning the campaign for Britain to stay in the EU and warned that they will now start speaking out in favour of a “Brexit”.

Downing Street is demanding that all ministers continue to abide by “collective responsibility” and continue to support the Prime Minister’s position until the final deal is done at a Brussels summit in two weeks.

Mr Cameron was asked by ministers at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning whether they could now speak out in favour of Brexit. One Cabinet source told The Telegraph: “The Prime Minister has fired the starting gun for the EU campaign and made clear he will be leading the charge to stay in. The assumption is that collective responsibility is over.”

Boris Johnson became the most senior Tory to openly criticise Mr Cameron’s deal, warning that there is “much, much more that needs to be done”. Mr Johnson sits in the political Cabinet and so is not governed by collective responsibility.

It came as:

• Mr Cameron was accused of breaking his manifesto pledge to ban EU migrants from claiming in-work benefits in the UK for four years.
• Theresa May, the Home Secretary, gave the clearest indication that she will join the campaign to stay in the EU by saying the Tusk offer is “a basis for a deal”.
• A promise by the Prime Minister to stop migrants sending child benefit abroad was abandoned. Foreigners will be allowed to send welfare payments to their children abroad, but they will be given less money than before.
• Experts warned that the “emergency brake” being offered to Britain that will still allow migrants to claim benefits will act as an “incentive” to come to the UK.
• Officials warned that the new benefits regime for EU migrants could spell chaos for Whitehall computer systems.

So that's it then. We know know what kind of EU we are going to be voting on this summer.

Even as a eurosceptic I did not expect much at all but I at least expected some token reforms to be thrown Cameron's way as an attempt to keep us it: reform of CAP, CFP, a rebate and a few financial regulations thrown away. But nothing. I am genuinely shocked at how little he got, he got nilch.

It goes to prove that the EU is unreformable and Britain's voice counts for nothing there.

For those who lean towards Leave, does what he has achieved - nothing - sway you more towards Remain or are you pretty sure now?

You can read by clicking here how Cameron failed to get anything he asked for from the EU:

http://order-order.com/2016/02/02/9-...from-brussels/

[FlyingJesus]

I think the real crime here is how bad those headlines are

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think the real crime here is how bad those headlines are

I love them haha especially The Sun I always think it comes up with some great corkers. Very Carry On-esque

[-:Undertaker:-]

Leave surges to a 9-point lead with YouGov.

Boost for Leave campaign after EU deal coverage – Leave 45%, Remain 36% https://t.co/P0Q6odyCH1 pic.twitter.com/F2EHTsvhBH

— YouGov (@YouGov) February 4, 2016

Meanwhile the President of the European 'Parliament' is saying any changes Britain gets are reversible....

[dbgtz]

Interesting to see public support for the EU is also seemingly sliding in Scotland (though with the remain still having a huge lead lmao).
I wonder if the referendum will have have some terms that will see it unlikely to succeed, like needing 66% or 75% to vote to leave or something along those lines.

[Lewis]

Interesting to see public support for the EU is also seemingly sliding in Scotland (though with the remain still having a huge lead lmao).
I wonder if the referendum will have have some terms that will see it unlikely to succeed, like needing 66% or 75% to vote to leave or something along those lines.

I don't know a great deal about politics, but what the hell, that isn't a democratic vote with terms like that lol

[dbgtz]

I don't know a great deal about politics, but what the hell, that isn't a democratic vote with terms like that lol

I doubt anything like it would happen (well, 66% is a possibility in my opinion since DC doesn't actually want to leave), but I what I was thinking of is stuff like in the Scottish devolution referendum in 1979 where X% of the electorate had to turn out along with a majority.

[-:Undertaker:-]

@dbgtz; @Lewis; there's no limits like that on this referendum, winner is 50% +1.

then again i say that but the EU likes to have people vote again if they vote the 'wrong' way *cough* the Irish and Dutch.

[dbgtz]

@dbgtz; @Lewis; there's no limits like that on this referendum, winner is 50% +1.

then again i say that but the EU likes to have people vote again if they vote the 'wrong' way *cough* the Irish and Dutch.

Have the terms been set? I don't recall seeing that they have been.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Have the terms been set? I don't recall seeing that they have been.

aye, electoral commission has sorted it all from question to wording. even the ballot paper is set.




next decison will be what groups will get official designation as the Remain and Leave campaigns