Embarrassing defeat for UK PM David Cameron, as Tory rebels sink EU referendum rules

British Prime Minister David Cameron has suffered an embarrassing defeat in parliament over how the referendum he has called on leaving the European Union will be conducted.

While the defeat in the House of Commons on Monday was on a technicality, it highlights the struggle Cameron faces to keep eurosceptic rebels in his own centre-right Conservative party in line before the vote, due by the end of 2017.

It was Cameron’s first defeat in the Commons, where he has a majority of only 16 seats, since he won Britain’s general election in May.

The government had wanted to water down the usual rules on so-called “purdah”, under which ministers are banned from making any announcements which could affect the result of the vote for the last 28 days of a referendum or election campaign.

But the normal rules will now be applied after the government’s plans were defeated by 312 to 285 votes. Thirty-seven Conservatives rebelled against Cameron and voted with the opposition.

The prime minister wants Britain to remain part of the EU as long as he can secure reforms on issues such as making it harder for migrants from the bloc to access benefits and dropping the EU’s commitment to ever-closer union.

Suspicions are growing among some MPs who oppose the EU that he will be content to secure cosmetic changes to Britain’s relationship with Europe ahead of the vote, rather than the deep-seated changes they want.