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Mr Clarke, whom the Prime Minister made a key negotiator in the [American-European] trade deal, warns that Britain would face “curtains for our ability to play any leadership role” if some of his Tory colleagues continue to push for what he describes as a “Brexit". Mr Clarke says that [Britain] will not be able to participate in this deal and others without its single market membership. “Irony of ironies, it is of course the EU that is making deals with the United States and Canada possible”, Mr Clarke says. “It should come as no surprise that Obama’s officials have commented that they would have 'very little appetite’ for a deal with the British alone."
He adds that he believes that the importance of such deals will lead the public to back the country’s EU membership in a referendum. Mr Cameron has pledged to hold a referendum by 2018 if he is re-elected and the Conservatives will push to enshrine the right to a poll in legislation next month.
Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, said that the single currency was no longer facing an “existential crisis". “The euro is no longer under existential threat, financial stability has been restored, deficits have been halved, competitiveness is improving and as a result exports are picking up", he said.