Ed Miliband will make his most unequivocal commitment to UK membership of the EU, saying there is no short-term political gain to be had from flirting with exit.
With Miliband under criticism for failing to build a stronger relationship with business, the Labour leader will use a speech to the Engineering Employers Federation on Thursday to warn “there is no greater threat to the long-term stability and prosperity of Britain and British business than leaving the European Union”.
“That is why it is so wrong to play fast and loose with our membership of the EU.
“I want to be clear: I reject that course. It is not in our national interest. It is not in the interest of British families. It is not in the interest of British business.”
Miliband regards his commitment to the EU as his calling card with business, and insisted his party is clear “our place lies inside not outside the EU”.
He adds the EU needs to reform to reflect better the need of business to have a budget that is spent more sensibly and to have fair rules on immigration.
Miliband has also been pressing David Cameron to set out his aims in his planned renegotiation by setting out what he intends to achieve and what he regards as a successful negotiation.
Cameron has set out his detailed plans for renegotiation of the right of UK migrants to enter the UK, and the degree of social security support they receive from the British state, but has not set out his wider goals in a negotiation for many years.
