Downing Street denies Cameron ready to drop EU migrant benefit demands

The Prime Minister may be about to back down on a key plank of Britain's EU reform package.

Reports claim the David Cameron could drop controversial plans to curb benefits for EU migrants at a summit on Thursday.

But as ITV News Political Correspondent Emily Morgan reports, the government insists it is still committed to pushing through the measure:

Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who is leading the party's campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union, has said there is more that can be done on the issue of work benefits paid to migrants.

It comes as Downing Street dismissed reports the Prime Minister is ready to drop demands for a four-year wait until EU migrants can claim in-work benefits as"simply not true".

Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Most other European countries have a system where you contribute, so there is a contributory system to benefits."

"That was the original idea of the Labour government in 1945, but it's been diminished, so we could return to that and that means our domestic situation [too, so] there's no discrimination."

He added that Britain should be at the forefront of resolving issues in Europe instead of being "over by the exit door whingeing and moaning instead of playing it's full role".