I HAVE said before that Europe has too many powers and it is time the UK used its clout and the opportunity afforded by the Euro crisis to get powers back.

The Government has already started work on reviewing the full list of powers that the EU has acquired in the last 40 years.

And I have been working with colleagues on the Fresh Start project to identify those powers we want back.

So I am delighted the Prime Minister has confirmed our intention to reclaim powers and then put the question of our membership to a public referendum.

After 40 years of membership, it is time for the British people to renew their consent to our membership.

Most people of voting age today have never had the chance to express whether they want to be part of the club or not, and even for those who did vote in the last referendum, membership means very different things than it did in 1975.

So why wait? Because we want to have a different relationship with Europe than we have now.

If a referendum was held tomorrow, I would be unclear as to how to cast my vote. I am not happy with our membership of Europe as it is now. That goes for most of the Conservative Party.

But there could be advantages to staying in Europe if we can renegotiate our membership on terms that we are comfortable with. This is a far better solution than immediate withdrawal.

The Prime Minister has set out the policy I have been calling for. It represents the most robust positioning of our relationship with Europe since Margaret Thatcher got our money back.

I promise that you would get a referendum at the right time. It is a big question which will settle our relationship with Europe for a generation.

It isn’t just about in or out, it is about what kind of relationships we want with other states in a globally competitive world.

If we can get it right, there will be more advantage to staying in Europe than going it alone. If they want more than we are prepared to give, we should leave.