European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has confirmed that there will be no further renegotiation of Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) if the British people opt to remain in the EU tomorrow.
“The British policy makers and British voters have to know that there will not be any kind of renegotiation,” he told reporters in Brussels, according to AFP.
His intervention directly contradicts the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who in an interview with The Telegraph yesterday said he could “guarantee” that a Remain vote would give him a mandate to push for further changes to Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Asked whether he could “guarantee” that he will push for tougher migration controls – an issue which has been toxic to the remain campaign – Mr. Cameron said: “Yes of course. This is an ongoing process.”
He added: “Reform doesn’t end on Friday. The only way it ends is if we leave.”
Not so, according to Mr. Juncker.
He has insisted that the EU will not offer anything more than that which was given at the renegotiation summits held in February this year; a deal which was widely accepted to have been a damp squib.
“We have concluded a deal with the Prime Minister, he got the maximum he could receive, we gave the maximum we could give,” Mr. Juncker said.
“So there will be no kind of renegotiation, nor on the agreement we found in February, nor as far as any kind of treaty negotiations are concerned.
“Out is out.”
Speaking to Breitbart London, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage said that Mr. Junker’s intervention proved that the referendum vote tomorrow was Britain’s “last chance” to exit a union which is unpopular on its current terms.
“Jean Claude Juncker has now confirmed that a Brexit vote is Britain’s last chance saloon. There is no further reform” he said.
Boris Johnson also responded to the comments, saying: “This gives the game away. If we stay in there is no prospect of any further change.
“This is it, folks. We have been told from the horse’s mouth that any hope of further change is absolute illusion.”