Stephen Metcalfe, local MP
for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has expressed his support for the Prime
Ministers recent EU announcements.
In a landmark speech,
Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that he will not only
renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Europe but that he will deliver an
in-out referendum once these negotiations have taken place.
The Prime Minister made it
clear that he will fight for British interests and called on the EU to respect
the differences of individual states and to focus on forming a competitive
market place above political harmonisation.
With the ongoing Eurozone
crisis, the EU is an organisation undergoing a great deal of change which has
raised key questions about its future and Britain’s place within it.
Commenting, Stephen Metcalfe
MP said: “This was a very encouraging speech by the Prime Minister. Whilst we
need to be within the single market, democratic consent for the EU in Britain
is now wafer thin and we must start to bridge the gap between the EU and the
British people. The referendum will do this. It will once again give the people
a voice on Europe and restore the accountability deficit that is currently
crippling the institution.”
“The Prime Minister also made
it clear that he will fight for the repatriation of powers from Europe and back
into the British Parliament where they rightly belong.”
If David Cameron wins the
next general election in 2015, he will start to negotiate a new settlement with
our European partners with the view to hold a referendum in 2018.
Mr Metcalfe added: “The
Conservative party have listened to the people. They are the only party to
promise a referendum and this leaves voters with a clear choice for 2015. If
you want a fairer, more competitive and more accountable Europe where British
interests are placed at the centre of all negotiations, then the Conservatives
are the only party who can deliver.”
