Nearly 90% of Cameron’s EU change pledges unlikely to be delivered

Nearly nine out of ten (87.5%) of David Cameron’s pledges to change the EU look like they will not be delivered by his EU renegotiation.

The PM has made 24 pledges of which 14 (58%) have been dropped altogether. While there is some overlap with the above, 15 (or 63%) of the pledges require treaty change in order to be fully effective. However, it has become increasingly clear that the Government will not secure actual treaty change before the referendum as David Cameron initially pledged. Any reforms that are dependent on a treaty change taking place after the UK referendum is liable to be struck down by the EU’s courts.

That leaves just three changes (12.5%) which David Cameron can influence in the re-negotiation.
He has made 24 pledges of which 14 (58%) have been dropped altogether.

While there is some overlap with the above, 15 (or 63%) of the pledges require treaty change in order to be fully effective.

Of the three changes which David Cameron can influence in the re-negotiation, two of those rely on getting agreement from other EU countries:

• Blocking further political integration.
• Pushing for new EU free trade deals (but he can’t force the EU to sign any deal)
• Pushing for a cut in EU red tape (however he will be unable to force the EU to drop laws)

Former Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, said, “David Cameron was elected as Prime Minister this year on a promise to bring about ‘fundamental’ changes to Britain’s EU membership. It now looks like he won’t get nine out of the ten things that he promised the British people. The Government’s ‘renegotiation’ has been watered down hugely. This is very disappointing for those of us who have backed the Prime Minister in his bid to get real reform in the EU and negotiate a new relationship based on trade and co-operation, allowing us to make our own laws in our own Parliament.”