By Peter Hoskin
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Here's
a quote to note. It's from David Cameron, speaking on the Today programme this
morning, about the possibility of an EU referendum:
“I’ve always
said that when we achieve that fresh settlement, it needs consent either at a
referendum or a general election. But the referendum is obviously the cleanest,
neatest, simplest and most sensible way of doing that.”
It's
certainly the strongest hint he has given on this front so far —
although, in truth, it's not substantially different from what he has been
saying on the subject recently. On a visit to Brazil last month, he said that there is increasing need for a “new settlement” between
Britain and Europe, and that that settlement would require “fresh consent”.
At
the moment, it sounds as though that “fresh settlement” would be timed for
after the next election, particularly given the constraints of Coalition — but
I suppose that’s still up for question. And there are other questions too. What
would be renegotiated? Will a referendum commitment make it into the manifesto?
How would the question be framed?
And yet the timing of Mr Cameron’s latest hint is striking.
Perhaps we shall hear more in his speech tomorrow.