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British Prime Minister David Cameron sought to win back the initiative Tuesday after polls showed the 'Remain' side in the U.K.''s EU referendum, which Cameron backs, slipping behind.
In a rare prime ministerial press conference, Cameron said that the 'Brexit' campaign was telling six lies about the EU.
But is that fair? Here''s a fact-check.
Cameron''s claim: The prime minister said that it is untrue to say, as the 'Leave' campaign has done, that the U.K. will be liable for future Eurozone bailouts. We won''t have to pay for such EU endeavors, he said.
Is it true? A 2011 European Council decision on Bailouts for Eurozone countries specified that the U.K. and other non-Euro states would not be liable. A Vote Leave briefing quotes Chancellor George Osborne saying that the EU had acted 'in flagrant breach of the agreement we''d all signed up to' in 2015 in seeking to make Britain pay for Greece''s bailout. He did say this, but he went on to confirm that the attempt had been blocked. Cameron is probably right.
Cameron''s claim: Cameron said that the U.K.''s 'rebate,' an instant discount on its EU contribution fees, is secure, and that Vote Leave''s claim that the EU could scrap it is untrue. 'The British prime minister has a veto on changes to our rebate. Only a British prime minister could decide to give it up,' he said.
Is it true? Yes. Research from the House of Commons Library concluded that 'unanimity of the member states is required to change' the rebate, while independent fact-checking organization Full Fact said: 'The rebate can''t be changed in future without the UK''s agreement.'
Cameron''s claim: Cameron hit back at Brexiters'' claims that the U.K. had given up its ability to veto EU treaties. 'There''s absolutely nothing in the renegotiation that gives up our veto as a full member of the European Union,' he said.
Is it true? Vote Leave points out that Cameron''s renegotiated EU membership deal does not allow him to veto new legislation aimed at driving integration within the Eurozone. That''s true, but that doesn''t mean he''s given up any veto he previously had on issues directly affecting the U.K.
Cameron''s claim: It''s 'wrong' to say the U.K. can''t stop the EU''s budget going up.
Is it true? The detail of Vote Leave''s response to this focuses on the parlous state of the EU''s finances, backed up with European Parliament research, and argues that the EU is likely to want to increase spending during the current, pre-agreed period to 2020. It''s true that Cameron hasn''t exactly highlighted this risk, but Vote Leave does not argue that he has no veto over any such increase, only that British politicians have ' constantly failed' to use the veto and that our 'political capital' with the EU is currently low.
Cameron''s claim: 'They said we were powerless to stop Britain being forced into an EU army. Again, not true.'
Is it true? There are all sorts of shared defense responsibilities different EU member states might choose to embark upon. But, the fact-checking group Full Fact said an actual EU army and common defense policy 'couldn''t be brought into existence without the agreement of the U.K.'
Cameron''s claim: The U.K. would not save money by leaving the EU.
Is it true? If I could answer that, I''d be doing something more lucrative right now than writing fact-check pieces for you to click on. The Vote Leave campaign said the U.K.''s net contribution to the EU in 2015 was £10.6 billion (
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