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Monday, February 22, 2016

Cameron And Johnson Set For Clash Over EU

David Cameron will present MPs with his case for the UK remaining in the EU later - and sources have said Boris Johnson will try to question the PM over the deal he secured in Brussels.
The Prime Minister will address the Commons at 3.30pm after a tumultuous week in which he struck a deal for a reformed relationship with Europe and announced 23 June as the date for the EU referendum.
But Mr Cameron was dealt a blow on Sunday when Mr Johnson declared he will support the Out campaign, effectively putting himself at the head of the campaign for an exit.
The PM will set out details of a deal which he says will give the UK greater sovereignty and political autonomy while remaining at the heart of a reformed Europe.
Sources close to the London Mayor confirmed he will attend the debate and try to ask Mr Cameron a question.
The PM is also likely to get a rough ride from Conservative backbenchers and half-a-dozen Cabinet ministers who have declared they will be voting to leave.
Ahead of Mr Cameron's address, a number of junior ministers have revealed which side of the debate they will support.
Foreign Office minister James Duddridge, local government minister Mark Francois and defence ministers Julian Brazier and Penny Mordaunt are among those who have said they will back the Out campaign.
During a question time session at City Hall this morning, Mr Johnson claimed that fears over the economic impact of an exit from the EU have been "wildly exaggerated" and hit out at "scaremongering" by supporters of a vote to keep ties with Brussels.
He said: "In any case like this there will always be people who say we should stick with the status quo.
"But the trouble with the status quo is that it is formidably bureaucratic, it is producing more and more legislation over which neither our parliament nor any parliament in Europe has any control."
But Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News EU membership gave Britain "extra security" when dealing with "aggression or terrorism", and shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn claimed the uncertainty of what would happen after a Brexit was not worth the risk.
Meanwhile, A Sky News snap poll conducted in the aftermath of Mr Johnson's decision found that 29% of respondents said it made them more likely to vote for an exit, 10% said it made them less likely to do so and 62% said it made no difference.
When asked if the deal negotiated by Mr Cameron made them more likely to vote to stay, 21% said it did. A total of 36% said it made them less likely to back remaining in the EU, while 43% said it did not make a difference.

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