THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain must stop having a "nervous breakdown" over Europe as it would be a economic "disaster" to leave the EU, Ken Clarke has said.
The Cabinet minister said any suggestion the UK could leave the EU is "damaging our influence" in the world.
Speaking on the BBC's Today Programme, he said he does not "remotely believe" the Prime Minister is planning to take Britain out of the EU, despite eurosceptic pressure from backbench MPs.
"We are going through a very curious stage in the national debate," he said. "In the last 20 years the country gets near to having a nervous breakdown on the subject every now and again. David Cameron assures the public, he’s always assured me, that he believes, as I do, that Britain’s place in the modern world has got to be in the EU.
"It would be a disaster for our influence in global political events. It would be a disaster for the British economy, if we were to leave the EU. It damages our influence in these great critical events of the moment if we keep casting doubt on our continued membership." » | Rowena Mason, Political Correspondent | Monday, November 19, 2012
