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David Cameron makes U-turn on Britain's EU membership referendum EU referendum: David Cameron makes U-turn on threat to sack ministers
(about 1 hour later)
David Cameron has not decided whether he will impose collective responsibility on ministers in the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, the prime minister’s spokeswoman said on Monday – contradicting newspaper accounts of his remarks in Bavaria on Sunday. David Cameron has announced that he has yet to decide whether to impose collective responsibility on ministers in the referendum on Britain’s EU membership, saying it would be a step-by-step process.
The prime minister’s spokeswoman said that Cameron was only seeking at this stage to impose responsibility during the period of negotiations about a new relationship with the EU – a period that did not cover the timeframe around an eventual vote. Related: Cameron withdraws threat to sack Brexit ministers in EU referendum U-turn - Politics live
Related: David Cameron indicates Tory ministers face sack if they back EU exit The prime minister said his remarks in Bavaria on Sunday had been misinterpreted by a series of newspapers, including the Guardian, which reported overnight that ministers would have to leave the government if they opposed his new EU settlement.
“The prime minister has set out his position during the negotiation and not beyond that,” Cameron’s spokeswoman said. Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, the prime minister said: “It is clear to me that what I said yesterday was misinterpreted. I was clearly referring to the process of renegotiation and am happy to repeat exactly what I said yesterday.
No 10 insisted Cameron had not backtracked in the face of hostility from Conservative ministers or leading figures on the backbenches responding newspaper reports on Monday morning of the prime minister’s remarks in Bavaria. “I have always said what I want is an outcome for Britain that keeps us in a reformed EU. But I have also said that we don’t know the outcome of these negotiations, which is why I have always said I rule nothing out. Therefore it would be wrong to answer hypothetical questions.
Instead, it insisted Cameron had been misinterpreted in a briefing he gave on Sunday, and that he did not realise until Monday. “I know that can be frustrating. I know you want to jump to the end of the process and have all the questions answered now about the end of that process. That is not going to be possible so we are going to have to take this stage by stage, step by step and you will get the answers.”
During the briefing on Sunday, Cameron was specifically asked about whether ministers would need to resign over a referendum. During his briefing Cameron was asked on Sunday: “Can I just check, on the EU referendum, have you absolutely closed your mind to allowing ministers a free vote? That’s a no-no?” The prime minister spoke a few hours after his spokeswoman said that, at this stage, he was only seeking to impose responsibility during the period of negotiations about a new relationship with the EU – a period that did not cover the timeframe around an eventual vote.
“The prime minister has set out his position during the negotiation and not beyond that,” she said.
No 10 insisted Cameron had not backtracked in the face of hostility from Conservative ministers or leading figures on the backbenches responding to the newspaper reports.
Related: Ten ways in which life could change if the UK left the EU
Instead, it said Cameron had been misinterpreted in a briefing he gave on Sunday, and that he did not realise until Monday.
During Sunday’s briefing, Cameron was asked: “Can I just check, on the EU referendum, have you absolutely closed your mind to allowing ministers a free vote? That’s a no-no?”
Cameron replied: “I’ve been very clear, which is I’ve said that if you want to be part of the government, you have to take the view that we are engaged in an exercise of renegotiation to have a referendum, and that will lead to a successful outcome.”Cameron replied: “I’ve been very clear, which is I’ve said that if you want to be part of the government, you have to take the view that we are engaged in an exercise of renegotiation to have a referendum, and that will lead to a successful outcome.”
Membership Event: Guardian Newsroom: Brexit - what would happen if Britain left the EU?
The prime minister was then asked: “So anyone in government who opposes that will have to resign?”The prime minister was then asked: “So anyone in government who opposes that will have to resign?”
He replied: “Everyone in government has signed up to the programme set out in the Conservative manifesto.”He replied: “Everyone in government has signed up to the programme set out in the Conservative manifesto.”
Downing Street was aware of the newspaper reports for at least 12 hours before issuing their denial of the reports. Downing Street was aware of the newspaper reports for at least 12 hours before issuing their response.
The PM’s spokeswoman said: “The position is the prime minister has not set out his position. The prime minister was clearly taking about collective responsibility during the renegotiation.” The spokeswoman said: “The position is the prime minister has not set out his position. The prime minister was clearly talking about collective responsibility during the renegotiation.”
It is hard to see how the issue of collective responsibility becomes a live issue during a renegotiation since it is hard to see on what issue a minister would seek to express dissent during the negotiation. It is hard to see how the issue of collective responsibility becomes a live issue during a renegotiation since it is hard to see on what issue a minister would seek to express dissent during that process.
Membership Event: Guardian Newsroom: Brexit - what would happen if Britain left the EU?
Downing Street’s claim that the prime minister had been misinterpreted was not helped after James Wharton appeared to endorse Cameron’s thinking. The communities minister, who made an unsuccessful attempt to introduce an EU referendum through a private member’s bill in the last parliament, made no attempt to challenge the newspapers’ interpretation of the prime minister’s remarks.
Asked whether ministers should be forced to leave the government if they wanted to campaign on a different side to the prime minister, Wharton said: “On big issues like this, we saw it recently with the Scottish referendum, the government itself takes a position. We have a long-established principle of collective responsibility.”
David Davis, the former shadow home secretary who had earlier warned the prime minister that he risks sparking a bitter Conservative party row after adopting a “my way or the highway” approach, welcomed the apparent change of heart.
“It is vital that ordinary decent honourable members of the government – ministers in the cabinet or junior ministers – are allowed, as everybody else is, to vote the way they want, speak the way they want, campaign the way they want,” Davis told Sky News.