David Cameron takes swipe at Boris Johnson as he warns against EU exit

David Cameron
Boris Johnson
Brexit
Monday 22 February 2016 at 4:54pm

David Cameron has warned the EU referendum will be a “final decision” on Britain’s membership of the union.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to see an “even greater Britain inside a reformed EU” and warned against the “illusion” of sovereignty outside it.

Mr Cameron also appeared to make a thinly veiled attack on Boris Johnson, who has come out in support of “Brexit”, telling MPs he had “no other agenda than what is best for our country”.

In a passionate plea to the Commons and the country, he said: "We are a great country and whatever choice we make, we will still be great. But I believe the choice is between an even greater Britain inside a reformed EU, or a great leap into the unknown."

PM says he has 'no other agenda' in EU campaign

After Mr Cameron announced a referendum for June 23 on Saturday, a number of senior Cabinet minister came out in support of leaving the EU, including Michael Gove and Chris Grayling.

Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London, made his intentions clear in a speech outside his home on Sunday, saying he wanted “a better deal for the people of this country”.

He denied his decision to campaign for “Brexit” was a pitch to become the next leader of the Conservative Party, but Mr Cameron appeared to suggest some of those supporting leaving the EU had another agenda.

“I am not standing for re-election,” the Prime Minister told the House of Commons. “I have no other agenda than what is best for our country. I’m standing here telling you what I think.

“My responsibility as Prime Minister is to speak plainly about what I believe is right for our country, and that is what I will do everyday for the next four months.”

Referendum 'final decision' on membership

Mr Cameron also attacked suggestions Britain could enter into a second negotiation with Brussels if it voted to leave the EU.

He said the idea that other European countries would be willing to enter further negotiations was "for the birds".

"This is a vital decision for the future of our country and we must be clear that it is a final decision," the Prime Minister told MPs.

"This is a straight democratic decision - staying in or leaving and no government can ignore that

"Having a second renegotiation following by a second referendum is not on the ballot paper."

Mr Cameron quipped that he knew couples who had begun divorce proceedings, but not "any who've begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows".

'No time to divide the West'

The Prime Minister said he believes Britain will be "stronger, safer and better off" in a reformed EU.

He also warned of the security challenges facing the West and said it was no time for division.

"The challenges facing the West today are genuinely threatening," Mr Cameron said. "Putin’s aggression in the east, Islamist extremism to the south.

"In my view this is no time to divide the west."

Response to Prime Minister's speech

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the EU was a vital part of how Britain would face challenging issues and said his party would campaign for the "remain" side.

“We are convinced a vote to remain is in the best interests of the people," Mr Corbyn said.

But he added that Mr Cameron's renegotiation had failed to tackle major issues and instead was a "theatrical sideshow" to appease members of the Conservative Party.

The SNP's Angus Robertson said Scotland would demand a new referendum on whether it should become independent there is a vote to leave the EU in the referendum.

In his own remarks to the Commons, Mr Johnson questioned how the new deal on Britain's membership of the EU returned any sovereignty to Parliament.

The Mayor of London asked the Prime Minister to explain "in exactly what way this deal returns sovereignty over any field of lawmaking to these Houses of Parliament?"

Mr Cameron responded by saying that by being excluded from ever-closer union "the ratchet of the European court taking power away from this country cannot happen in future".

At the end of his statement, there was one MP, more than any other, to whom David Cameron was talking: Boris Johnson.

"I have no other agenda," the Prime Minister said referring to his decision not to stand for re-election in 2020, "than what is in the best interests of our country."

In other words: this decision is not about my future, it's about the UK's future.

He didn't look at the London Mayor as he said it - but everyone in that chamber knew who he was talking about.