Cambridge Labour Parliamentary spokesperson Daniel Zeichner has backed Ed Miliband’s attack on David Cameron’s EU gamble, which he says puts Britain’s economic future in peril, and key research funding for Cambridge at risk: “Cambridge in particular is a city which needs to be closely engaged with the European Union. To keep his fractious back-benchers quiet, Cameron has been forced to concede a referendum years ahead on the basis of a fantasy negotiation that no-one else in Europe will take part in. This is a nonsensical position that creates years of uncertainty, damaging investment and making future planning by research intensive areas such as ours much more hazardous.

Labour’s Policy Review process is already identifying an agenda for change both in Europe’s institutions and Europe’s policies and has already announced some of the key areas that we will be looking at as a Party: The EU budget reformed and cut in real terms; reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to stop wasteful subsidies; reform of Structural Funds so that money is better spent; reform of State Aids; a new Growth Commissioner to ensure the EU is focused on promoting growth; a new mechanism embedded within the EU and tasked with assessing the impact of every new piece of legislation on the potential to promote growth across the EU; and reform of the single market -; by extending into areas like the digital, energy and financial sectors. Labour’s approach is serious and in the national interest -; in marked contrast to Cameron who has been captured by a narrow faction within his own party.”