A few British proposals for European Union reform are ‘highly — EU Commission

Cameron is to give more detail on Tuesday in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk on Britain’s reform demands ahead of a referendum that is due to be held by 2017 at the latest.

Schinas said Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, whose executive branch will be responsible for drafting possible new legislation and treaty amendments, was ready to cooperate.

Mr Cameron appeared taken aback at the interruption, unexpected among an audience largely comprised of business people, and responded curtly before the campaigners were removed.

About 148,000 of these claimants, a few 66 per cent, receive tax credits, housing benefit and other welfare handouts available to people in work.

“We intend to stay that way”, Cameron said. “Next week, I will launch bilateral consultations with Member States as well as EP (European Parliament) on topics to be addressed”.

“We need to be able to exert greater control on arrivals from inside the EU”.

“If and when we do so…”

“I am not saying for one moment that Britain couldn’t survive outside the European Union”.

“If I can’t achieve them, I rule nothing out”, he said, reiterating a warning to European Union leaders.

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The Ukip MP Douglas Carswell said that the Prime Minister can no longer “pretend that he’s neutral”. “If we can’t do that, then we can’t win a referendum”, he said. Staying in a reformed European Union “will be unambiguously in our national interest” as the bloc is “a tool that the British prime minister uses to get things done in the world and protect our country”, he added.

“We believe that what is set out in the manifesto is right for Britain, right for Europe and needs to change”. “But we should do so with our eyes open”.

“The renegotiation is happening right now”. And the referendum that follows will be a once in a generation choice.

He will also ask for Britain to be excluded from the principle of “ever-closer union” and to strengthen the role of national parliaments.

He will say: “There will be those who say – here and elsewhere in the European Union – that we are embarked on Mission Impossible.

This is about fundamental change in the direction of travel of the European Union”, he said. He deliberately conflated benefits with freedom of movement.

Cameron has faced criticism both at home and overseas – including from his own eurosceptic backbenchers – for not spelling out details of the concessions he is seeking from other European leaders with detailed discussions expected to accelerate before a summit next month.

The British prime minister told business leaders Monday that “the status quo isn’t good enough for Britain”.

He also said taxpayers outside the eurozone should “never be financially liable” for operations to support the euro currency.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, said Cameron was not aiming for anything “substantial”. He highlighted the abolition of mobile phone data roaming charges.