EU Gives ‘Special Status’ To England
KABUL: (MEP) A deal has been implied with the European Union (EU) leaders that will give the UK “special status” the Britain prime minister David Cameron said adding that he will campaign with his “heart and soul” to stay in the union.
At a summit that ran into overtime, EU leaders agreed unanimously on a package of measures aimed at keeping Britain in the 28-nation bloc to avoid a potentially disastrous divorce.
Their legally binding decision granted Britain an explicit exemption from the founding goal of “ever closer union”, offered concessions on the welfare rights of migrant workers and safeguards for the City of London financial centre.
Mr Cameron is set to the announce the date of a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU after a cabinet meeting which is happening at 10:00 GMT – the referendum is widely expected to be on Thursday, 23 June.
Once the date is announced, ministers will be allowed to campaign for whichever side they want – one of Mr Cameron’s closest political allies Michael Gove has already been named as supporting the Leave camp. Others, such as Iain Duncan Smith are expected to follow – but a question mark remains over which way London Mayor Boris Johnson will jump.
The British prime minister said he had achieved all his main negotiating aims and would recommend the agreement to his cabinet on Saturday, firing the starting gun on a fierce referendum campaign on Britain’s future membership of the bloc.
The agreement on renegotiating the UK’s EU membership was announced by European Council president Donald Tusk, who tweeted: “Deal. Unanimous support for new settlement for #UKinEU.”
