Cameron to Allow U.K. Cabinet Ministers to Campaign for ‘Brexit’

A number of United Kingdom government ministers are in favour of an Out vote, with Mr Cameron expected to campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.There has been increasing pressure on him recently to allow this free vote so this can be seen as a climb-down albeit one of common sense. “The Government should take a collective position on this issue, and if ministers disagree with the Prime Minister they should resign”.

David Cameron had been meeting with European heads of state and government in recent months, in a bid to renegotiate the UK’s place in the EU – including being exempt from the concept of ever-closer union, and the ability to temporarily curb internal migration in times of crisis.

“He said: “[David Cameron] may be surprised now at just how many ministers, cabinet ministers, come out in support of leaving and also there was a whole host of young MPs who want to have ministerial careers, but who were rather frightened.

The ministers most likely to campaign to leave, regardless of what Mr Cameron achieves, are the Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers and the Leader of the House Chris Grayling.

Mr Cameron said the referendum was “perhaps the most important decision the British people will have to take at the ballot box in our lifetimes”.

“But if we can’t reach such an agreement and if Britain’s concerns were to be met with a deaf ear, which I do not believe will happen, then we will have to think again about whether this European Union is right for us”.

The Prime Minister has said if he fails to achieve substantial reform in each of his four “baskets” then he could also campaign to leave.

“The referendum could be as little as 170 days away, so ministers should be allowed to campaign openly as soon as the renegotiation is complete – and certainly no later than the end of the European Council in February”.

Piennar says Cameron will announce the move later today.

Mr Cameron’s official spokeswoman declined to confirm or deny that the PM was planning to offer his ministers freedom to campaign on opposing sides in the referendum, describing reports as “speculation”.

Mr Cameron is following the policy adopted by Harold Wilson in 1975 when Britain voted on whether to remain in the EEC.