By Guy Faulconbridge
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -
Prime Minister David Cameron said his renegotiation of Britain's ties
with the European Union was "bloody hard work" but that he would not be
rushed into naming a date for a referendum on membership, The Sunday
Telegraph reported.
On the eve of an annual gathering of his
ruling Conservative Party, Cameron urged his lawmakers and supporters to
show patience over the issue of Europe which is likely to dominate the
conference in the northern English city of Manchester.
For at
least a generation, Cameron's party has been riven by a conflict over
Europe that contributed to the downfall of both Margaret Thatcher and
John Major, the last two Conservative prime ministers.
Under
pressure from lawmakers who feared the electoral success of the anti-EU
UK Independence Party, Cameron in 2013 promised a referendum on
membership by the end of 2017 though many analysts and campaigners
expect it to be called next year.
In what the newspaper said was a
signal that the referendum will not be held early next year, Cameron
said his EU counterparts will have "plenty of time" to consider his
requests for a new relationship with Brussels.
He is demanding EU
leaders allow Britain to cut in-work benefits for EU migrants and allow
London to prevent euro zone rules that London considers would hurt
British interests.
But as many as one in five of Cameron's
lawmakers is likely to vote to leave the EU, research from the Open
Europe think tank showed on Friday, indicating the scale of the divide
over Europe in the ruling Conservative Party.
Cameron will tell
his supporters that he can deliver a deal that will give Britain "the
best of both worlds", combining "the benefits of the single market" with
life outside the Schengen and euro zones, The Sunday Times said.
Cameron favors staying in a reformed EU but has said he will rule nothing out if he cannot secure what he wants.
A new biography of Cameron written by Michael Ashcroft says that Cameron has repeatedly said privately that he does not
want to leave the EU.
The
book also said that German leader Angela Merkel believes Cameron has
made a series of serious errors in his push for a new EU deal for
Britain.
