Allies of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have warned David Cameron not to blackmail Europe by threatening to take Britain out of the EU.
The UK Prime Minister is expected to promise a referendum on a “new settlement” for Britain with the EU — but not until after the 2015 general election. Although he wants the UK to remain a member, there are growing fears among pro-European politicians that a “No” vote in the referendum could result in its departure from the EU.
The Barack Obama administration warned that Mr Cameron could risk undermining British influence on the world stage by putting its EU membership in jeopardy. The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg warned Mr Cameron yesterday that Britain could be reduced to “subsidiary status” if he goes ahead with a referendum which could pave the way for its exit from the European Union.
Mr Clegg said: “Whatever question you put in any eventual referendum, the underlying question is the same – does Britain want to lead in Europe and continue to lead... Do we lead or do we hang back in a sort of subsidiary status? Not only ourselves but the Americans and others quite understandably say you are a big nation, you’ve got big horizons, you’ve got big ambitions, you’ve got a big history, act big, don’t act small.”
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