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February 3, 2016

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Talks to keep UK in EU fail to convince skeptics

PROPOSALS by European Council President Donald Tusk aimed at keeping Britain in the European Union met a mixed response yesterday, underlining the challenges Prime Minister David Cameron faces to win over his people and other EU leaders.

The proposals, which addressed all four areas where Cameron has demanded reform, did little to ease doubts among his more Euroskeptic lawmakers, and even one of his closest allies wondered aloud if the package — which must still be agreed by other EU states — would be enough.

The two sides have been locked in talks trying to find a way for Cameron to win what he calls the “best deal possible” for Britain while keeping other EU states onboard before a referendum which could take place as early as June.

Tusk’s text said Britain could immediately suspend welfare payments to EU migrants for four years if Britons voted to stay in the bloc and could, alongside other countries, have new powers to block legislation. Britain could also opt out of further political integration in the 28-member bloc.

But with Euroskeptics describing the talks as “trivial” and some of Cameron’s allies saying the proposals would probably need more work, a summit of EU leaders on February 18-19 is gearing up to be a difficult meeting.

Cameron said in a tweet: “Draft EU renegotiation document shows real progress in all four areas where UK needs change but there’s more work to do.”

A British government source also issued a note of caution that although many boxes were ticked, any deal needed all 28 EU leaders to sign up.

“For many others, we are at the start of the negotiations rather than at the end of them,” the source said. “Nothing is agreed until all 28 member states are on board.”

Nonetheless, sterling jumped after the outline of the proposed deal was released. The pound rose to US$1.4425, up from US$1.4380 beforehand.

Officials are keen to show Cameron has won agreement with Tusk on two important areas of the renegotiation — stopping EU legislation it opposes and curbing migrants’ benefits.

Tusk’s proposal would have a legally binding provision allowing a group of 55 percent or more member states to either stop EU legislation or demand changes to address concerns Britain has handed too much power to Brussels.

It also includes a clause saying Britain could suspend some payments to migrants from the bloc for four years, starting after the referendum, after meeting the conditions to trigger a so-called “emergency brake.”

Both should go some way to appeasing EU critics in Cameron’s party, although even an ally, London Mayor Boris Johnson, said he doubted the deal would be enough.

“I do think that the prime minister has been negotiating very hard and obviously very successfully but my view would be ‘not enough’ and we need to go further,” he told Sky News.

Britain’s pro-EU campaign welcomed the proposals.

“These reforms would be good for Britain. With the changes set out today, Britain would be even stronger in Europe,” Stuart Rose, chairman of Stronger In, said in a statement.

But Euroskeptics were not convinced.

“What the government is asking for from the EU is trivial. These proposals will not take back control from the EU,” said Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, one campaign lobbying for Britain to exit the European Union.

Britain’s press, like the population, is split.

The Daily Mail asked: “Is that it then, Mr Cameron?” while the right-wing Telegraph has been more supportive of Cameron’s renegotiation.

But perhaps more telling were the words of Britain’s most powerful media owner, Rupert Murdoch, on Twitter: “UK-EU negotiations meaningless without complete control of borders.”




 

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