‘In the United Kingdom, where this is widely interpreted as a commitment to ever-closer political integration, that concept is now supported by a tiny proportion of voters.
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Speaking to the Federation of German Industries (BDI), Osborne will say that the British government wants “principles embedded in EU law and binding on EU institutions that safeguard the operation of the union for all 28 member states”.
With United Kingdom opinion polls showing a narrowing of support for staying in the European Union, Cameron’s government is under increasing pressure to take on eurosceptics in both his ruling Conservative Party and the opposition Labour camp directly.
Setting out the deal he proposed making with Germany and other euro zone countries, Osborne said the “inexorable logic” of monetary union would mean the EU’s treaties would have to be changed to support closer economic union between its members. The British Chancellor reminded his audience that Britain is second only to Germany regarding contributions to the EU’s budget.
“In return, you make sure that Britain’s interests are properly respected, that we don’t bear the costs and burdens of things that go wrong in the euro, that jobs aren’t lost from Britain because we’re not in the euro”.
He says “you get a eurozone that works better, and we get a guarantee that eurozone decisions and costs are not imposed on us”.
Rewriting the fundamental principles underpinning the European Union to recognise that the 28-nation bloc has more than one currency and to protect the rights of members which do not use the euro would be good not only for Britain but for all of Europe, he said.
In a keynote speech to German business leaders in Berlin today, Mr Osborne will say: “Remain or leave… is the question our democracy has demanded we put because, quite frankly, the British people do not want to be part of an ever-closer union”.
Addressing German business leaders, Mr Osborne argued that Germany could not afford to lose Britain as an ally, pointing out that an extraordinary two thirds of European Union growth since the 2007 crash had been in Britain and Germany, who had become “the engines of growth” on the continent.
“Where there are justified concerns – whether competitiveness or a better functioning of the European Union – British concerns are our concerns”, she said.
He insisted that there must be safeguards to prevent the 17 euro states from imposing their costs on to countries such as Britain that choose to stay outside the single currency area.
“This trip is a meaningless publicity stunt as he is demanding powers of veto that we already have”.
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He believes that new voting rules introduced as part of the Lisbon Treaty could lead to the Eurozone bloc voting for single market laws that favor the Eurozone nations and penalize non-euro countries.
