Summary

  • David Cameron seeks Polish support for his EU renegotiation proposals during trip to Warsaw

  • Polish PM says she support aspects of the UK's draft blueprint, such as enhanced national sovereignty and competitiveness

  • But Beata Szydlo says other areas, including curbs on EU migrants benefits, need to be 'ironed out'

  • The UK PM moves onto Denmark for talks with counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who gives full backing to his reforms

  • Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says a UN panel's ruling that Julian Assange be allowed to go free is 'ridiculous'

  • The head of the cross-party Remain in EU campaign, Lord Rose, says he expects a substantial win in the referendum

  1. Cameron: EU deal 'worth fighting for'published at 13:13 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    David Cameron has been talking about the case for remaining in the EU in a future referendum, the campaign for which he says he hopes will start soon. He says the EU will never be "perfect or unblemished" and the UK will need to continue to press for reform. But if there is an agreement on the "good terms" he has just outlined, he says he would "absolutely want" the UK to opt into them and remain in the organisation. The UK can have the best of both worlds by remaining in the EU but staying outside the single currency, he adds, insisting this is "something worth fighting for". 

  2. Deal 'can never satisfy' euroscepticspublished at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Pat McFadden, the former shadow Europe minister, says the terms of any deal "could never satisfy the desperate to be disappointed" eurosceptic members of the Conservative party.

    He asks about proposals in the deal around in-work benefits and if the Europe minister agrees that "the vast majority" of people "come to work hard, pay their taxes and make a positive contribution to our country".

    David Lidington says: "I completely agree with that last comment" and it's important we "don't get drawn into stigmatising" working migrants.

  3. PM: UK currency will not be discriminated againstpublished at 13:06 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Mr Cameron moves on to what the deal will do to boost the EU's competitiveness, saying they are key commitments. On the relationship between the eurozone and the rest, he says the deal will for the first time recognise that the euro is not the only currency in the European Union and that there will be safeguards to ensure there is "no disadvantage, no discrimination" against sterling and the UK will not have to contribute to eurozone bailouts. 

  4. UK will be able to reject 'crazy' EU ideaspublished at 13:06 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    David Cameron has been talking about progress against his negotiating objectives. Firstly, he says the UK has got a specific "carve-out" from ever-closer union for the first time. Secondly, he says there will be a red card in place to allow the UK and other national Parliaments to reject "crazy" ideas from Brussels, something which was deemed to be impossible. He also says that the deal will allow for powers to be returned to national Parliament with an annual review. The package on sovereignty and subsidiarity is strong, he claims. 

  5. David Cameron: I've not 'kicked over the tables'published at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    The PM says the referendum does not have to take place until the end of 2017 but, ideally, he wants it to happen a great deal earlier. On his modus operandi, he says he has approached the negotiations in a measured way, rather than "kicking over the tables and storming out". 

  6. 'Narrow and arbitrary' demands criticisedpublished at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Lib Dem leader Tim Farron criticises the prime minister for not being in Parliament, but says he "welcomes" the publication of the draft proposals.

    However he says it's "bizarre" that such a "massive" decision about Britain's place in the world is down to a set of "narrow and arbitrary" demands.

    He asks the government not to delay the referendum beyond the summer "given it would destabilise our economy further".

    Tim Farron
  7. Eurosceptic MP dubs proposals 'pint-sized package'published at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Eurosceptic and Conservative MP Sir Bill Cash calls the proposals a "pint-sized package" and asks whether it can be called a fundamental change in the relationship between the UK and EU. 

    He also asks whether there is a guarantee that the package is legally binding and whether it can be reversed before the votes are cast in the forthcoming referendum.

    The minister replies that the central document, issued by Donald Tusk today, is a draft international law decision - which would be binding in international law and could only be amended if it all signatories agreed.

  8. Government asked to avoid polling day 'clash'published at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson says his party "looks forward" to making "the positive case" for the EU.

    But he says the PM has "not delivered anything near Tory promises" for reform. He says the questions facing the EU are "far bigger" than the ones David Cameron has been perusing.

    Angus Robinson also raises concerns about the "important elections" coming up in May, including Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Irish Assembly and London Mayor and "it cannot be right" to have them "clash" with a June polling day for the referendum. He asks the government not to announce a June date for the referendum.

    David Lidington says the bill was amendment to prevent the referendum from happening on the same day as other elections, but as yet there is no referendum date because there is no final deal. 

    He says the final choice for the day of the referendum will rest with the House of Commons.

    Angus Robertson
  9. David Cameron spells out four key objectivespublished at 12:55 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    David Cameron

    David Cameron is spelling out the four objectives he is seeking from his negotiations. The UK wants to co-operate in the European Union not "get lost in some sort of super-state", the PM says. The EU has been too bureaucratic and rule-bound and needs to be more competitive. The UK also needs to know it can "keep its currency, frankly, for ever" and be treated fairly in what has seemed in recent years to have become "something of a euro club". And finally, the pressure from migration needs to be dealt with. 

  10. David Cameron speaking about EU renegotiationspublished at 12:55 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    David Cameron gets up to speak and, as is customary, takes off his jacket as he starts to talk about "the vital issue" of the UK and the EU. He says his aim is for a more "secure and prosperous country" that gives people the chance to live a "good and decent life". He goes on to say his objective is to see the UK remain in a reformed EU, saying this would be "the best of both worlds". 

  11. 'Encouraging progress'published at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Veteran Conservative MP Ken Clarke says "encouraging progress" has been made on issues like "ever closer union", the Eurozone and more powers for national parliaments. He says they are "crucial questions".

    He says the issue of benefits needs to be settled and then "we can get back to the big issue of Britain's full relationship with the union and the role Britain wants to play in the modern world".

    Ken Clarke
  12. PM 'always intended' to make statement tomorrowpublished at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David Lidington says that the PM is seeking "a better deal for the United Kingdom" and a deal to make "the whole of Europe better at creating jobs and prosperity".

    He says people were denied a say on the EU for 13 years while Labour was in power, despite "three different treaties" in that time.

    On the PM's non appearance today, he says it was always the intention to make a statement after PMQs tomorrow and that MPs will need time to digest the deal.

  13. Cameron being introduced at Siemens factorypublished at 12:47

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  14. Corbyn's attack on PM's stancepublished at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanks the Speaker for granting the urgent question - saying the prime minister is making a speech elsewhere rather than making himself accountable to Parliament.

    "He's gone to a selected audience in Chippenham...but cannot report to this House," he says.

    Mr Corbyn also says that journalists were given a briefing about the draft negotiation document. There's "no process in coming to Parliament, but every process about engagement with the media," he says.

    "The truth of the matter is this whole process...is not about engaging with Parliament," he says. "It is about managing the problems within the Conservative party."

  15. 'Real progress' made in dealpublished at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Europe Minister David Lidington says the deal has "advances" towards exception from "ever closer union", "safeguards" for those outside the Eurozone and "important" ideas for "reducing the pull factor of our welfare system".

    He says "we believe that real progress has been made, but I would stress that there is more work still to be done, and more detail to be nailed down before we are able to say that a satisfactory deal has been done".

  16. Assessing the detail of the proposals on the 'red card'published at 12:45 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    By Simon Wilson and Ben Wright in Brussels

    The draft document does – as briefed beforehand – contain a procedure for national parliaments issuing a so-called “red card” to EU institutions in some areas of policy. However, the current text makes clear that this applies only to the principles of “subsidiarity and proportionality”  - in other words where legislation might better be done at a national level - and not to EU proposals more generally.

    The text of this part of the document also contains language likely to be viewed by critics as vague and open to interpretation. Principles will be “duly taken into account” and “appropriate arrangements” will be made.  As highlighted beforehand, if 16 or more national parliaments raise a complaint then the item will be “included on the agenda” of the next Council meeting for a “comprehensive discussion”.

    One other point to note is that a national parliament will only be able to have a say on areas of policy in which the member state participates – so that the UK parliament for example would not be able to have a say on most areas of Justice and Home Affairs policy, as the UK normally exercises its opt out.

  17. Where is the PM, Labour MPs ask?published at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

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  18. David Cameron has 'failed to deliver' on key objectivespublished at 12:43 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

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  19. MPs will want to 'digest the detail'published at 12:40 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

    Draft EU deal urgent question

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Europe Minister David Lidington says the draft text released by Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, has been sent to all EU governments. He says MPs will want to "digest the detail" of the deal before questioning the prime minister on it tomorrow.

    He says the government has always proposed "reform, renegotiation and then a referendum". He says many of the proposals will benefit "the entire European Union". 

    David Lidington
  20. David Cameron to speak soon on EU packagepublished at 12:37 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2016

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