It’s a deal: Cameron hails ‘special status’ for Britain in EU

[rooster59]

It’s a deal: Cameron hails ‘special status’ for Britain in EU



After hours of painstaking negotiations in Brussels, British Prime Minister David Cameron has reached an agreement with his European partners to give the UK as he puts it ‘special status in the EU’.

Among the package of measures, Cameron won a commitment to change the bloc’s governing treaties in future to recognise that Britain was not bound to any political union and would have safeguards against financial regulation being imposed on the City of London by the euro zone.

Before heading home to present the details to his Cabinet, the British premier hailed success over key demands.

“Britain will be permanently out of ever closer union, never part of a European super state,” he told a news conference.

“There will be tough new restrictions on access to our welfare system for EU migrants, no more ‘something for nothing’. Britain will never join the euro and we have secured vital protections for our economy and a full say over the rules of the free trade single market while remaining outside the euro.”

After much wrangling at the two day EU summit, the settlement won unanimous support, as announced by European Council President Donald Tusk.

Britain is already the EU’s most semi-detached member, having opted out of joining the euro single currency, the Schengen zone of passport-free travel and many areas of police and judicial cooperation.

No country has ever voted to leave the Union and many leaders said they felt they were at an historic turning point for European integration.

However for eurosceptic critics in the UK, the benefit curbs and other measures are trivial. They have accused David Cameron of watering down his original demands.

A number of key figures in his own Conservative party are expected to campaign for Brexit – Britain leaving the 28-nation bloc – when the UK votes in an in-out referendum, expected to be held in June, with the outcome deeply uncertain.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s anti-EU UK Independence Party, tweeted his rejection of the agreement.

Our correspondent in Brussels Sandor Zsiros says: “The big question in the coming months will be whether the British prime minister can convince voters that, after this deal, EU membership is worth it. This may well be a bigger task for David Cameron than it was to reach agreement here at this summit.”

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-20

[i claudius]

Deal? Cameron got the crumbs they swept off the table after lunch

[shirtless]

All he could do as he is useless.

[terryw]

I think that Cameron's went to the EU with good intentions but from past history the deal is not worth the paper that its written on. Both the European Court of Justice and the European Parliament will water down the agreement. The problem is that this is likely to happen after a Remain vote win at the Referendum. If I was a betting man, the next UK Prime Minister will support an OUT vote at a second Referendum in the next 5 years.

[SgtRock]

Cameron held a £ 12 Billion poker hand, and left the table with nothing.

Cannot really expect anything else from a career politician.

[ukrules]

If there's an early referendum the government will lose.

[Basil B]

I like the way the out campaign has been stitched up...

DC gets on of his ministers with a proven record of incompetency to head it.

-- BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35617843

Well he has a few ...and I thought it would have been Theresa.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Basil B

[expat_4_life]

It's no better than a campaign promise, empty rhetoric. Not yet approved by the EU Parliament.

Don't fall for this ploy, get out of the EU now while you still can.

Edited February 20, 2016 by expat_4_life

[Grouse]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

[Briggsy]

The lack of any details says it all. He always knew he would get next to nothing and that is what he got.

Cameron was / is duplicitously and skilfully doing what was politically necessary to keep a minority of his backbenchers from defecting to UKIP or voting him out as leader.

Since the stay in campaign has the support and thus the political machinery of all the major parties, they will win any referendum.

[huawei]

"Special" is a provocative word to use.

[Ulic]

Cameron got NOTHING, claims it is a significant victory, meanwhile the Europeans say

the UK must vote once and for all to stay in, and by the way what we have agreed to

is absolutely NOT guaranteed. Once you vote in we reserve the right to say no, we

are not changing anything. Unbelievable. An absolute laugher. The spin doctors will

have there work cut out for them.

[Ulic]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

Of course that is why there are no cabinet ministers or members of parliament on the

"Vote No" side. That would make them uninformed imbeciles.

[blazes]

If what Cameron has gained is so <deleted> wonderful, why would not the likes of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and many others not wave their flags at Brussels and say they wanted to change the rules?

The fact that no one else sees fit (so far) to follow the British "triumph" in Brussels suggests that Cameron's suit of clothes is pretty threadbare.

[ukrules]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

The UK is packed to the brim with uninformed imbeciles and they will all vote to leave.

Lots of them are campaigning to have their own human rights taken away because some undesirables / illegal immigrants also benefit from them.

You almost couldn't make it up.

[happy Joe]

Cameron pretends to want leave Europe for several billion advantages.

Junckers refused pretending to hold him.

As said above a few crumbs were granted to allow him to save face.

[Basil B]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

I will be voting to stay in...

But it will be reluctantly, I think much that has been negotiated is too little, too late, and very wishy-washy.

[Asiantravel]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

It's a very sad state of affairs when the UK Justice Secretary is considered to be an uninformed imbecile

[jesimps]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

Only an uninformed imbecile would presume to speak for over half the population.

Betcha we leave.

[sanukjim]

Cameron held a £ 12 Billion poker hand, and left the table with nothing.

Cannot really expect anything else from a career politician.

That is because it takes gonads to play real poker and he did not have any so he tried to depend on luck and you know what that got him.As far as being a "career politician" the UK will never have any other kind leading it if it continues with a socialist type of government.

Edited February 20, 2016 by sanukjim

[MAJIC]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

Yes we always shoot ourselves in the foot,I'm not holding my breath this will be any different!

[MAJIC]

I like the way the out campaign has been stitched up...

DC gets on of his ministers with a proven record of incompetency to head it.

-- BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35617843

Well he has a few ...and I thought it would have been Theresa.

Theresa promised immigration as low as 10,000 last year, instead she upped the immigration figures to 250,000,you don't get medals for that abysmal showing!

[aerozeppelin]

Yes, great deal for Britain. And meanwhile all the "refugges" keep coming to Germany and Sweden

[DarloKnight]

Useful improvement in UK's position within Europe

Only an uninformed imbecile would consider leaving

The U.K. will stay in obviously

I will be voting to stay in...

But it will be reluctantly, I think much that has been negotiated is too little, too late, and very wishy-washy.

Are you living in the UK now? Do you know what it's really like here in UK at minute ?

[donnybay]

Cameron held a £ 12 Billion poker hand, and left the table with nothing.

Cannot really expect anything else from a career politician.

First British PM that has given the British pupil the right of a choice, stay in Europe or leave

First British PM to take on the Brussels gravy train, without thinking how it would blow his chance of a top paid job later

First British PM to think whats best for the British people, not himself

First PM to understand all that is wrong with the EU and tell them what all the other leaders are thinking (now they all want the same as we got)

First British PM that wants to stop all the loopholes allowing uncontrolled immigration into the UK (they are queuing up in France right now)

First British PM to give Scotland a chance to break away from Britain and Europe

Oh wait lets get Blair and Brown and their cronies back and 15 years of Labor destroying the country, leaving it bankrupt., selling out to Europe

Once again we can actually survive without Germany and France and the rest of that motley crew and hold our heads high, the UK will be the envy of the world without Europe, own currency, independent and strong.

IMHO

[johnmell]

Would not trust anything Cameron does. Remember how his government promised to look favourably at expats using the NHS service in the UK , then conveniently shelved the idea.

[Norvid 1950]

Making a business deal you need not a politician, but business man like Donald Trump.

[ukrules]

Remember, this is the 'first referendum', they can always do another just like what happened in Ireland a couple of times when the 'wrong' result came in.

Of course the leverage increases massively on subsequent votes.

Edited February 20, 2016 by ukrules

[Ghostnigel]

I can just picture Mother Merkel, and Junker with their hands to their mouths, sniggering as Cameron speaks to the nation.

If it was that good a result, why aren't all the other countries wanting the same deal?

Edited February 21, 2016 by Ghostnigel

[Asiantravel]

the Scottish referendum was 55% to stay in the UK and 45% to be Independent.

If the results are anything like that regarding the European Union referendum I would regard it as highly suspicious and a fix

Edited February 21, 2016 by Asiantravel