EU leaders discuss the UK's renegotiations at a dinner in Brussels
David Cameron says progress has been made and he can see a "path" towards a deal next year
But he says there is a "lot of hard work" still to be done, including on the issue on curbs on benefits for EU migrants
Angela Merkel says she believes solutions can be found but she won't agree to anything discriminatory
UKIP's MP Douglas Carswell calls for a new party leader - but Nigel Farage tells him to "put up or shut up"
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David Cameron does not want to be seen to be backing away from his plans to curb EU migrants' benefits before the "crucial staging post" of this week's summit, BBC political correspondent Carole Walker says.
"This dinner on Thursday is going to be a pretty crucial occasion for the prime minister," she adds.
Peter Henley
Political editor, South of England
With hindsight, perhaps the choice of venue was the big mistake that the Labour campaign to stay "IN" Europe made.
Security is tight at the Culham Science Centre. It's the research centre where they help to develop nuclear fusion.
So no audience was allowed into the conference centre. A solitary sign in the corner of an anonymous office was all Labour managed to rustle up for the photocall by Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle and MEP Annaliese Dodds.
Ms Eagle called Mr Cameron's campaign for concessions in Europe "against the national interest".
"I know when I talk to business they want us to be engaged in the European Union. They don't want us to be behaving like we are."
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Image source, AFP/GettyAccording to the agenda for this week's EU Council meeting, external, EU leaders will consider the "state of play" regarding the UK's reform demands - apparently over dinner. It's listed alongside the refugee crisis, the fight against terrorism, and the future of the single market.
The UK government has said it will listen to other options that could reduce immigration after strong opposition to its plan to make migrants wait four years before claiming in-work benefits.
As well as Chuka Umunna's urgent question on the minimum wage, we are also expecting a statement from Energy Secretary Amber Rudd on the Paris climate deal and another from Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin on airports capacity.
Coming up in the Commons
Conservative MEP says agreement is a 'huge step forward'
Reports Ken Livingstone is to be made a peer so he can join the shadow cabinet are “nonsense”, one of Jeremy Corbyn’s key allies has said.
Shadow minister Cat Smith – who previously worked in Mr Corbyn’s office – said: “Ken Livingstone did a great job when he was mayor of London… but I don’t see him playing a big role in the future going forward.”
Speaking to the Daily Politics she said if Labour was to nominate people for the Lords, the majority should not be “older white men”.
BBC Radio 4 news script from 13:00 GMT bulleting
Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent
David Cameron's proposed four-year ban on migrants claiming in-work benefits is at the centre of his efforts to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU. He claims it will reduce immigration by making the UK a less attractive place to live and work. But there's staunch opposition from other EU leaders who fear it could discriminate against their citizens.
This morning the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, signalled there might be room for compromise. He said the four-year ban was the only proposal on the table at present, but if others were to offer alternative ideas the Government was "absolutely prepared" to listen to them.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, raised the case of Denmark, where in some cases buying property is dependant on meeting residency criteria. He said the UK should have its "special circumstances" recognised, warning if the UK is to stay in the EU, there must be reform. "The prime minister's official spokesman said the government was "open to looking at new ways of dealing with the issue" .
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Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan said David Cameron's EU demands wer just "play acting"
He said the Danish opt-out was the result of a treaty change and says it was disregarded and "subordinate" to the common European goal. He said "primacy of our legal system" needs to be taken back.
He said leaving the EU was a "means to an end" to a freer and more prosperous Britain. He said the EU would not listen to the UK if it opted to stay in, if they hadn't listened to the UK before.
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There is a "confusing picture" coming out of Downing Street about EU demands says Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform.
He said there was genuine confusion rather than it being a theatrical performance.
Mr Grant said the Denmark relationship with the EU was an "amusing precedent" (they ban non-residents buying property) but he adds it doesn't help David Cameron very much, as it didn't discriminate against workers rights.
He said EU leaders won't understand why David Cameron has made a "fetish" out of in-work benefits, rather than focus on out-of-work benefits. He describes a deal on the benefit issue as "too difficult".
Quote MessageIt would be fundamentally wrong to change the basis of how we do benefits in the UK for our own citizens just to fit a stalled EU negotiation. I do not support that. We should have the flexibility to have whatever benefit system we like in the UK, not to be overturned and changed by the EU... it seems like a funny way to achieve what has been a negotiating point. The wrong way of doing it."
Craig Mackinlay, Conservative MP
Speaking about the case of Shaker Aamer, Daniel Hannan, a Conservative MEP, said the rule of law distinguished a functioning state from a gang of terrorists.
He said there were lots of things that "smell dodgy about this case" but he says it is "relevant" if there isn't evidence to bring against him in a "due court".
He added: "It's always the tough cases that make the bad law."
Craig Mackinley, Conservative MP, said "I'm more out than in" over the upcoming European Union referendum. He said the renegotiations are not fundamental enough and Mr Cameron could have asked for more.
Mr Mackinley said he wasn't "out at any cost" and added there were other reasons as to why migrants were coming to the UK, not just the benefits system. He added that Mr Cameron "should stick to his guns".
He said it would be "fundamentally wrong" to change the benefit system for UK workers. He agreed increasing the national wage was also a "pull factor".
Cat Smith, a Labour MP, said "Cameron is trying to please his Tory backbenchers" and the renegotiations show how far he is willing to go to please them, even if that means hitting UK workers. She said Labour would campaign to stay in the EU.
Craig Mackinley, Conservative MP, said he is not in favour of voting for 16 and 17 years old. He called it a "bizarre state of affairs". He said he thought it would be better to have a debate on voting in all elections rather than just adding one on.
He said "I'm just not convinced" about givinh younger voters the vote.
However Cat Smith, a Labour MP, disagreed with him. She said 16 and 17-years-olds had to "live with the consequences" of the EU referendum and should have a "stake" in that.
Cat Smith, a Labour MP who nominated Jeremy Corbyn for leader, said he has a "much stronger position now" as the Labour membership grows.
She said she "disputes" the idea there is a big rift in the Parliamentary Labour Party and added she was an advocate for free votes on matters of conscience.
On Ken Livingstone she said she doesn't see him playing a big role in the future in the party. She said she wanted to see more diverse and representative in the Lords so wouldn't want to see Mr Livingstone becoming a peer.
She said she was "grateful" for having an open debate in recent weeks.
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Discussing the European Union renegotiation Conservative MP Damian Green said "this is real renegotation" denying it was a charade. He added that nothing the Prime Minister secured from the European Union would satisfy eurosceptics. He said "there are no eurocrats" who want to do "Britain down".
Daniel Hannan Conservative MEP said David Cameron isn't asking for "meaningful change" and only asking for things he knows he can gets. He said if the UK stayed it would be "utterly ignored". He said the real negotiations will begin when the UK decides to leave the EU.
The Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said David Cameron will make it clear to other EU leaders that he needs reform in all of the four areas he has set out to satisfy the concerns of the British people.
Asked whether he was prepared to compromise on the plan for a four year limit before EU migrants can get in-work benefits, she said he was "open to looking at new ways of dealing with the issue" but the objective was how to reduce migration to the UK.
Asked whether the PM had a Plan B, the spokeswoman said, "the basis will be the proposals set out in his letter to Donald Tusk - that's what's on the table". She said that what was important for the PM was "a substantial political discussion" in all four areas and for leaders to understand the need for reform and to kick-start a process which could pave the way for agreement in February.
The spokeswoman said the UK was seeking "significant far-reaching reforms and you would not expect that to be done overnight".
