Blow to Cameron ahead of crucial speech on EU
DAVID Cameron was dealt a blow last night as peers voted to block a government plan for constituency boundary changes.
By 300 to 231, the House of Lords voted to delay the boundary review until 2018, scuppering the move to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600.
The Prime Minister is also facing opposition on his plans for the UK’s relationship with Brussels. Cameron will set out his plan for Britain to repatriate powers from the European Union on Friday morning, it has been confirmed.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister will deliver his long-awaited speech on the UK’s future membership of the EU in Amsterdam, following a meeting with Dutch PM Mark Rutte.
Cameron is expected to say the Eurozone crisis and the resulting drive towards closer fiscal integration offers a chance for Britain to establish a more arms-length relationship with the bloc’s 26 partners.
The Prime Minister yesterday disappointed some of his Tory backbenchers by ruling out a straight referendum on the UK’s continued membership of the bloc, though he strongly hinted that the public would have their say on any renegotiated deal.