By the end of 2017, if not next year, the UK government has promised to hold an “in/out” referendum on the UK’s continued membership of the European Union. External players, notably the USA and IMF have already argued that the UK should continue to play a key role at the heart of the EU, driving reform, if necessary. Other EU member states have also indicated their belief that the UK must remain in the political and economic union which is one of the largest trading blocs in the world. The government’s position is that it will push for reform in four key areas and, they hope, armed with accords as early as February (possibly) be able to commend continued membership of the EU to the British people. It remains to be seen how accommodating Britain’s EU partners will be.
Support for the UK’s continued membership of the EU has come from the new Polish administration which styles itself as “Eurorealist”. Polish President, Andrzej Duda warned that a “Brexit” from the EU would cause a crisis for the bloc. "The EU has been shaken time and time again with crises - whether it's the financial crisis, or the refugees crisis. Let's not pretend, a UK exit from the EU will be a very serious crisis for the EU. Of that I have no doubt."
Whilst noting that the EU had many weaknesses he sounded a warning against David Cameron’s plan to restrict “in-work” benefits payable to EU migrants: "We want the EU to be efficient. So that it will foresee any possible future problems that are coming its way. I do not agree with contravening our basic freedoms, which we have in the EU framework - one of which is the principle of non-discrimination. And this is where I am completely against changing that principle."
In-work benefits are payable to workers in the UK on low incomes and are therefore applicable to (largely) unskilled migrant workers taking low paid jobs in the UK. Under current legislation, it would not be possible to deprive EU migrants of these means-tested benefits whilst paying them to UK citizens in the same situation of fact and law.