John Major backs David Cameron over EU renegotiation

**4me2** · 30th May 2014

John Major backs David Cameron over EU renegotiation

Sir John Major said Mr Cameron could win concessions from the EU

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major has said he believes David Cameron will succeed in reclaiming powers from the European Union before holding a referendum on the UK's membership.

Sir John said the political climate following the European elections would give Mr Cameron "allies" in any talks.
He suggested the free movement of people around Europe could be "qualified in some way".
But he warned that an exit from the EU would leave the UK isolated.
Mr Cameron has promised to hold a referendum on EU membership in 2017, if the Tories win the next general election, so people can decide if they are satisfied with the concessions his government will have negotiated in the meantime.

'Positive reform'

Rows over Europe dogged Sir John's Conservative government, which faced a confidence vote in the House of Commons in 1993 over its decision to sign the Maastricht Treaty.
But speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir John said Mr Cameron's position was not "remotely" like the situation he faced as prime minister.

On Mr Cameron's bid to win back powers ahead of a referendum, he said: "It can be done and I think this prime minister can do it".
UKIP, which wants the UK to withdraw from the EU, came top in the European elections in the UK, and Eurosceptic parties also made gains in other countries.
The results have led to calls for a rethink of the role of Brussels, while European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the vote had "sent a strong message".
Sir John said the elections had made it "apparent" that reform was necessary.
He said: "I think that gives a great deal of power to the British determination to renegotiate, because they will have allies today, which in the 1990s they did not have".
And he said changes could be made to the fundamental freedoms of the union, including the movement of people, saying: "You can't have an absolute restriction but you can qualify it in some ways".

'Exploiting grievances'

There are a "whole range of things quite apart from freedom of movement where positive reform can be made", he added, saying the principle of subsidiarity - that decisions should be taken at national level if possible - had been overlooked in recent years.
A "reaffirmation" of the UK's membership would remove the political "bitterness" that had built up on the issue, he said.
And he played down the threat to the Conservatives from UKIP, who he said were "good at exploiting grievances" but were "not frankly a very tolerant party". He said their appeal was not likely to continue for a very long time, but they were "an impediment for the moment".
Those arguing for a UK exit from the EU were wrong as it was in the country's economic self interest to stay in, he added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27631970

**4me2** · 30th May 2014

I wish you Conservative cunts would stop bleating about this.
All you are really interested in is removing the European laws that protect the working man from exploitation.
Everything else is just a smokescreen and you have no serious intention of the UK leaving the union.

Why would you wish to give up your enemy within status ?
Your party is sponsored by and consists of corporate puppets. Noway are you going to give away your main tool
to achieving your one aim, that being profit and world domination at all costs.

Just stop pretending you are trying to do the British and the working man a big favour as your smoke screen
is very thin.

**flumperino** · 30th May 2014

What is making me laugh is how all three main parties have dragged out their old fossils. In the past week we have heard from John Major, Tony Blair and Paddy Ashdown!

**AP0ll0UK** · 30th May 2014

This reminds me of the days of WWF, when classic wrestlers come out of retirement to back up their old tag team partner in grudge match.

I think [maybe I shouldn't think so much], that the EU has no choice but to relinquish the absolute bare minumum back to the nation states to show willing ahead of our General Election. There seems to be a view that if the UK leaves the EU then others will follow. Then at the informal meeting in Brussels the other night, people were saying that David Cameron would probably be speaking on behalf of the other nation states.

I don't think any of the political parties want to see UKIP either as the rulers of the country, or as part of a coalition. I think the EU parliament are pretty tired of listening to his shit as well. And when he speaks in the Eu parliament, he speaks up for other countries as well and you can tell it pisses some of them off by the look on their faces.

On that basis, I think the EU will do a few small deals to give something back to the nation states, suggesting that the current government can bring some power back to this country. Then people will vote for them as opposed to voting for a guy who doesn't want to make a deal, he just wants us out full stop.

**billynoguts** · 31st May 2014

Its great to hear washed out politicians bleat on about what so an so should do....They all think we have memories of goldfish! All of them have contributed greatly into the shit pile we are in today!....