David Cameron has delivered a speech on the UK's relationship with the EU, in which he promised an "in/out" referendum if the Conservatives remain in power after the next general election. Although his speech, made in a bid to simultaneously appease the right of his party and leech from growing support for the euro-sceptic UKIP party, focused on the perceived constraints of remaining within Europe, the proposal has caused widespread concern.

The Prime Minsiter said on Wednesday morning that "democratic consent for the EU in Britain is now wafer thin." He played up to fears over the Eurozone crisis, spoke of a "crisis of European competitiveness" and claimed EU governance suffers from a "lack of democratic accountability and consent." However, commentators have questioned the wisdom of going-it-alone in the current economic climate, potentially jeopardising ties with Britain's largest trading partner; over 50 percent of all UK trade is within the EU and almost 80 percent of food and drink trade is intra-EU.

Stating that his proposed referendum would go ahead in the first half of the next parliament, the Prime Minster also said he would seek a relationship with the EU that is "more flexible, more adaptable, more open," before the next election. However, with 26 other member states all vying to have their own interests recognised this may not be as simple as he suggests.

Dany Cohn-Bendit, Co-President of the Green Party in the European Parliament said, "It is clearly up to UK citizens to decide whether or not they want to remain in the European Union but David Cameron cannot be allowed to blackmail the EU with his threat of this hokey-cokey referendum. The EU cannot function as a Swiss cheese, riddled with opt-outs and exemptions."

Farmers may be perturbed by the prospect of a referendum, as the Coalition government has consistently expressed the desire to do away with support payments for farmers, leaving producers at the mercy of the market, in line with its neoliberal doctrines.

Whilst support for farming and other development funding would likely cease or suffer drastic reductions, farmers in states remaining within the EU would continue to claim support. In 2011, over half of the UK's farming income came from CAP payments (£3.4 bn in all).

EU funding benefits the UK in a wide variety of ways besides support for farming and rural development, including grants for construction projects and scientific research. However, none of these benefits were mentioned by the Prime Minister in his speech. Instead he focused on social, employment and environmental regulation, which he claimed "have gone far too far".  

Shadow farming minister Huw irranca-davies and Shadow Environment secretary Mary Creagh both took to Twitter to attack Cameron's comments. Ms Creagh questioned, "Cameron says EU environmental legislation has gone far too far. Which bits would he scrap? Clean water, air, waste reduction or [the] Habitats directive?"

Rebecca Harms, co-president of the European Green Party concluded in her response to the speech, "Cameron wants the status of being in the EU and all the advantages of EU membership without any responsibilities: this cannot work. His vision of the EU as a free trade club is an outdated concept that is completely at odds with the challenges of the 21st Century. Europe's future depends on a common sense of responsibility."