BRITAIN will secure a “good deal” on Europe, George Osborne has predicted as David Cameron claimed the technical talks with EU colleagues on his reform agenda were going “quite well”.
As the heads of more than 100 British universities launched a campaign for the UK to remain part of the European Union, the Chancellor, on a tour of European capitals, claimed a “win-win” deal was possible.
Speaking during a two-day visit to Paris, where he will have talks with his French counterpart, Mr Osborne said: "I'm confident we can get a good deal; a good deal for Britain and indeed for the whole of Europe.
"That means Europe that works for its citizens, that recognises, as we hear now French politicians saying, that as the eurozone integrates there needs to be fair treatment for those countries not in the euro, that includes Britain.”
He added: "That can create a win-win situation, it will require substantive reform, and when we have a good deal, we will out it to the British people in that referendum."
Earlier while on a trade visit to Indonesia, the Prime Minister said he was pleased the reform process had got underway, noting how in this regard the June European Council had been successful.
"What's happening now,” he told reporters, “is technical discussions in Brussels between my officials and officials of the European Council and the legal secretariat.
"Those technical discussions are proceeding quite well but there will be lots of difficulties and discussions and road blocks ahead to get the sort of deal that is necessary.
"But I'm pleased the technical talks are under way and they will go on through the summer."
No 10, asked - in light of reports the PM was aiming to hold the in/out referendum as early as June 2016 - if he wanted to get the negotiations over by spring of next year, made clear that he was “driven by substance not schedules”.
Meantime, Dame Julia Goodfellow, President of the Universities UK group, told the campaign launch in London that Britain’s colleges had to "stand up and be counted".
"It is abundantly clear," she insisted, "that the UK's membership of the European Union has an overwhelmingly positive impact on our world-leading universities, enhancing university research and teaching."
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