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US warns Britain against leaving European Union US warns Britain against leaving European Union
(about 7 hours later)
The US has issued a blunt warning to the UK not to leave the European Union, saying Britain would undermine its influence in Washington by trying to renegotiate membership.
The forthright American intervention in the European debate, from a senior US official, came on a day David Cameron's campaign to reset the terms of Britain's EU membership also came under concerted assault from Brussels and Dublin, with senior figures warning the prime minister against renegotiating the European treaties to secure a new deal and signalling bluntly that this was not on the agenda. The Obama administration issued a direct challenge to David Cameron over Europe, on Wednesday when it warned of the dangers of holding a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.
"We have a growing relationship with the EU as an institution, which has an increasing voice in the world, and we want to see a strong British voice in that EU," Philip Gordon, the US assistant secretary of state for Europe, said on a visit to London "That is in America's interests. We welcome an outward-looking EU with Britain in it." A senior US official questioned the merits of holding a referendum as the prime minister's campaign to reset the terms of Britain's EU membership also came under assault from Brussels and Dublin.
Gordon stressed that it was up to the UK define its own interests, but in what appeared a clear reference to the government's proposal to renegotiate membership and repatriate some powers from Brussels, he stressed that an inward-looking EU, preoccupied with its own internal procedures would be seen as a lesser ally by Washington. With just weeks to go until Cameron delivers a landmark speech in which he is expected to promise to hold a referendum on a "new settlement" for Britain in the EU, the US assistant secretary for European affairs warned that "referendums have often turned countries inwards".
"Every hour at a summit spent debating the institutional make-up of the European Union is one hour less spent on how to deal with the common issues of jobs, growth and international peace around the world," he said, in remarks first reported by the Financial Times. "We welcome an outward-looking European Union with Britain in it. We benefit when the EU is unified, speaking with a single voice, and focused on our shared interests around the world and in Europe," Philip Gordon said during a visit to London, adding: "We want to see a strong British voice in that European Union. That is in the American interest."
Meanwhile, at an event in Dublin marking Ireland's assumption of the EU's six-month rotating presidency, Enda Kenny, the Irish prime minister, described the prospect of Britain quitting the EU as a "disaster", while Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European council, called on the UK to remain an "active, full, and leading" member of the union. Gordon stressed that it was it was up to Britain to determine its European role but, in what appeared to be a clear reference to attempts to renegotiate UK membership with the EU, he said: "It would be fair to say that every hour at an EU summit spent debating the institutional makeup of the European Union is one less hour spent talking about how we can solve our common challenges of jobs, growth, and international peace around the world."
It has been US position for several years that it regards close British engagement in Europe as being in American interests. But Gordon's remarks – delivered on a day he met David Lidington, the Europe minister, and shortly before David Cameron is due to deliver a landmark speech setting out his plan to renegotiate Britain's ties with the EU – appeared to be a clear message to the government that the "special relationship" would be devalued in the eyes of the Obama administration if Britain left the EU, or got bogged down in drawn-out negotiations on the details of its membership. The intervention by Gordon, who was in London to meet the Europe minister, David Lidington, highlights the alarm in Washington as opinion polls show a rise in support for British withdrawal from the EU and the prime minister prepares to set out how he will repatriate powers from the EU.
Cameron's stated strategy on securing a looser UK-EU relationship, to be laid out in a major speech within weeks, hinges on 27 governments reopening the EU's Lisbon treaty, enabling Britain to push changes "repatriating" powers from Brussels to London. Cameron is expected to say in his speech that, if elected with a majority in 2015, he will use an EU treaty revision to underpin new eurozone governance arrangements to repatriate some powers.
 Senior Irish politicians said other European governments were privately urging Cameron to desist. Van Rompuy said EU governments could not agree on what they wanted to change in the treaty, so the prospect of a renegotiation was remote. The new terms of British membership would be put to the UK public in a referendum.
 "At this stage of the debate we don't need as much treaty change as people think," said Van Rompuy. "For those ideas for where treaty change is needed there is simply no consensus. So the possibility of having treaty changes in the next future or present are not very high." It has been the US position for several years that close British engagement in Europe was in American interests.
 He added that he would wait to hear what Cameron said in his keenly awaited speech on Britain in Europe, although there is much confusion in EU capitals about when and where the prime minister will deliver a speech that has been given a high billing for months. But Gordon's remarks appeared to be a clear message to the government that the "special relationship" would be devalued in the eyes of the Obama administration if Britain left the EU, or got bogged down in drawn-out negotiations on the details of its membership.
Kenny warned that the EU's "floodgates" would be opened if the Lisbon treaty was revisited to suit an individual country. A Downing Street spokesman said: "The US wants an outward looking EU with Britain in it, and so do we."
 "We would see it as being disastrous were a country like Britain to leave the union. Clearly the British government will form their own view." The forthright American intervention came as Cameron's plans also came under concerted attack from Brussels and the Irish prime minister, Enda Kenny, whose country holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU.
 The Irish see British membership as a vital national interest for themselves because of the close economic and financial ties as well as a common history. Senior government figures in Dublin appeared thoroughly bemused as to what Downing Street actually hopes to achieve. At an event in Dublin marking Ireland's assumption of the presidency, Kenny described the prospect of Britain quitting the EU as a "disaster", while Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, called on the UK to remain an "active, full, and leading" EU member.
 Cameron has repeatedly stated in recent weeks that other European leaders want to re-open the Lisbon treaty because of the euro currency crisis and to engineer a closer fiscal and political union at least among the 17 countries sharing the currency. Van Rompuy also cast doubt on whether a major revision of the treaty – essential to Cameron's strategy – would actually take place. He said EU states could not agree on what they wanted to change in the treaty, so the prospect of a renegotiation was remote.
 In fact, the other EU leaders are seeking to avoid treaty change since it could result in years of gruelling negotiations and open a Pandora's box of competing claims. "At this stage of the debate we don't need as much treaty change as people think," said Van Rompuy. "For those ideas for where treaty change is needed there is simply no consensus. So the possibility of having treaty changes in the near future or present are not very high."
 "Britain is a highly appreciated, highly valued and very important member of the EU. I believe it is in British interests to stay not only a member of the EU but a very active and full member, a leading nation in the EU. Of course it is for the British people to decide on their future," said Van Rompuy. He said he would wait to hear what Cameron said about Britain in Europe, although there is much confusion in EU capitals about when and where the prime minister will deliver a speech that has been given high billing for some months.
Cameron's stated strategy of securing a looser UK-EU relationship hinges on 27 governments re-opening the Lisbon Treaty, enabling Britain to push changes "repatriating" powers from Brussels.
In fact, the other EU leaders want to avoid treaty change as it could result in years of gruelling negotiations and open a pandora's box of competing claims.
Senior Irish politicians said other European governments were privately urging Cameron to desist. Kenny warned that the EU's "floodgates" would be opened if the Lisbon Treaty was revisited to suit an individual country.
"We would see it as being disastrous were a country like Britain to leave the union. Clearly the British government will form their own view," he said.
Van Rompuy said: "Britain is a highly appreciated, highly valued and very important member of the EU. I believe it is in British interests to stay, not only a member of the EU but a very active and full member, a leading nation in the EU. Of course it is for the British people to decide on their future."