UK Prime Minister wants EU referendum in June 2016: paper

PanARMENIAN.Net - David Cameron is ready to hold the EU referendum in June if other leaders agree to the bulk of his reform package at a summit next month, Whitehall officials have said, according to the Times.

Describing the choice as “the biggest we will make in our lifetimes” Cameron will present the decision on Britain’s membership as “not just a matter of jobs and trade but of the safety and security of our nation.”

Cameron's office said the government had not made any decisions on the date of the vote. "As the Prime Minister has said, what will determine the timing of the referendum is the outcome of the negotiation, within the deadline of the end of 2017."

The Prime Minister will counter Tuesday, November 10, the key arguments made by those campaigning for a Brexit as he effectively launches his effort to keep Britain in the EU.

EU allies had been told that if a December summit of EU leaders goes well, Cameron would prefer to hold the referendum in June 2016, officials said, according to the Times. The paper said he had been persuaded by other EU leaders that the vote should not be delayed, with another migration crisis likely next summer.

Opinion polls show most Britons favor staying within the EU although support for remaining versus leaving has narrowed in recent months, with many voters citing concerns over migration.