February deadline for EU negotiation

BRITISH and European leaders have set a deadline of February for talks on a new position for the country within Europe.

After British PM David Cameron met key European leaders in Brussels last night it was agreed talks would take place in four key areas:

Protection for non-euro countries
Competitiveness
An end to the obligation for closer union
Benefit restrictions

One of the most tricky issues is a plan to scrap in-work benefits for EU migrants to the UK for four years. French President François Hollande has already declared himself opposed to this.

The deal would need to be agreed before a referendum on Britain’s position in Europe which is due to be held in 2017.

Earlier this week, a poll of 20,000 by Lord Ashcroft’s polling group asked voters to place themselves on a scale from 0-100 - and found 47% leaned towards wanting to leave the EU while 38% wished to remain in.

Other recent polls asking a more direct ‘in or out’ questions have produced majorities for both sides.

Photo: Flickr/Moyan Brenn