In a carefully-worded article in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Grayling stressed that he supported the Prime Minister’s renegotiation but left little doubt that he would be campaigning to leave when the referendum is called.
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Grayling is keen to mark out his territory as a leading opponent of Britain’s European Union membership to ensure he can play a significant role in the Vote Leave campaign when cabinet collective responsibility is lifted.
Cameron and Osborne, who in the interview referred to himself as a “eurosceptic”, are trying to deflect criticism that they are pushing to keep Britain in the bloc at too high a cost to national interest. “This is the crucial decision of our lifetimes”, he told BBC Newsnight.
A senior source said Downing Street was “completely relaxed” about Mr Grayling’s comments, after the rules governing ministers’ behaviour were laid out in a minute by the Prime Minister last week.
And he said those arguing against membership still had to answer a number of questions.
While backing David Cameron’s bid to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with the EU, Grayling has now served notice that he is planning to campaign for Britain to leave the union during the upcoming referendum.
In particular, Mr Cameron aims to address the issues of economic governance, competitiveness, immigration and sovereignty.
Addressing concerns about divisions within the party, the Commons leader said the Conservative Party needs to “act as a team, and to debate the Europe issue in a grown-up way”.
Former American President Bill Clinton also called for a “No” vote while his wife Hillary, now a candidate for her party’s nomination for the presidency, said she would “hate” to see Britain “lose” Scotland.
The plan was dismissed as “nonsense” by Tory eurosceptics, who said the plan would have no impact on the ultimate aim of reducing net migration to the United Kingdom at the same time as hitting the poorest households in the UK. He noted that “we have not long to go” and said he expected the draft agreement, which will be put to the heads of state and government, would be issued “some time early in February”.
Mr Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons, wrote that it would be “disastrous” for Britain to stay in the European Union under the current terms of membership. Many of us would have to re-evaluate our positions. Ministers reject this idea on the grounds that the two years of negotiations after an initial no vote would take place under article 50 of the Lisbon treaty which covers a country leaving the EU.
The majority of British voters want to stay in the European Union, George Osborne has said.
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“If he is successful, which I think the Prime Minister will be, then we are going to have that debate and I welcome the fact we are going to have a referendum”.
