Bloomberg speech
# Bloomberg speech

Part of a series of articles on :

Brexit :

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

Glossary of terms :

Background

European Communities Act

UK opt-outs from EU legislation

Euroscepticism in the UK

UK opinion polling on EU membership

Campaigns for a referendum

People's Pledge

Labour for a Referendum

Bloomberg speech

In or Out

2013–14 EU (Referendum) Bill (unsuccessful)

2014 European Parliament election

2014 UK Parliament by-elections

Clacton

Heywood and Middleton

Rochester and Strood

2015 UK general election

2015–16 EU membership renegotiation :

2016 EU referendum

EU Referendum Act (Gibraltar)

EU Referendum (Date of Referendum etc.) Regulations

EU Referendum (Conduct) Regulations

Issues

Endorsements

Opinion polling

UK Government pro-EU leaflet

Campaigns

Leave campaigns

Vote Leave (official)

Business for Britain

Conservatives for Britain

BeLeave

Leave.EU

Bpoplive

The Freedom Association

Better Off Out

Grassroots Out

Labour Leave

Get Britain Out

Bruges Group

Campaign for an Independent Britain

Brexit: The Movie

Remain campaigns

Britain Stronger in Europe (official)

Labour In for Britain

European Movement UK

Britain in Europe

British Influence

Business for New Europe

Nucleus

Project Fear

Outcome

Results

Causes for result

International reactions

Immediate aftermath

2016 Conservative Party election

2016 Labour Party election

2016 UKIP election

Department for Exiting the EU

Department for International Trade

Allegations of unlawful campaigning

Alleged Russian interference :

Notice of withdrawal

Article 50 process

Miller case (Article 50)

EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017

Brexit plan

Repeal Bill plan

2017 UK general election :

Negotiations

Negotiation positions

EU negotiation mandate

Chequers agreement

Timeline: 2017 · 2018 · 2019

2019 European Parliament election

2019 UK general election :

Withdrawal agreement

Brexit divorce bill

Fish for finance

Irish backstop

No-deal Brexit

Northern Ireland Protocol

Northern Ireland Protocol Bill

Windsor Framework :

Legislation

Withdrawal Act 2018 (Gibraltar)

Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018

Cooper–Letwin Act

Benn Act

2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs

Public Vote Bill (not passed)

Terms of Withdrawal Bills (not passed)

Scottish EU Continuity Bill (blocked)

Withdrawal Agreement Act (Gibraltar)

Scottish EU Continuity Act

Internal Market Act

EU (Future Relationship) Act

Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill :

Impact

Impact on the Irish border

Good Friday Agreement

Impact on the EU

Economic effects

Effects on Gibraltar

Scientific cooperation

Retained EU law

2021 Jersey dispute :

EU–UK relations

Relations pre- and post-Brexit

EU–UK trade negotiation

EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)

Partnership Council

Relations with EU member states

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Ireland–UK border

British–Irish Council

North/South Ministerial Council

Italy

Lithuania

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Spain

Status of Gibraltar

Gibraltar–Spain border

Sweden

Conjectured EEA membership :

Opposition

Post-referendum opinion polling

New initiatives

Change Britain

More United

Open Britain

The New European

Unite to Remain

Led By Donkeys

Revoke Article 50 petition

Postcards from the 48%

Proposed second Scottish independence referendum

Calls for a second referendum

People's Vote

Britain for Europe

European Movement UK

For our Future's Sake

Healthier IN the EU

InFacts

Open Britain

Our Future Our Choice

Scientists for EU

Other organisations

Best for Britain

Bollocks to Brexit

Change UK

Liberal Democrats

Right to Vote :

Timeline Bloomberg speech Jan 2013 Referendum Bill blockedJan 2014 European Parliament election May 2014 2015 general election May 2015 Renegotiation begins Jun 2015 Referendum Act passed Dec 2015 Renegotiation concluded Feb 2016 Referendum held Jun 2016 David Cameron resigns as PM Jul 2016 Theresa May becomes PM Jul 2016 Article 50 judgement Jan 2017 Brexit plan presentedFeb 2017 Notification Act passed Mar 2017 Article 50 invoked Mar 2017 Repeal Bill plan presentedMar 2017 2017 general election Jun 2017 Brexit negotiations begin Jun 2017 Withdrawal Act passedJun 2018 Chequers plan presented Jul 2018 Withdrawal agreement plan presented July 2018 Withdrawal agreement released Nov 2018 Scottish Continuity Bill blockedDec 2018 Meaningful votes Jan–Mar 2019 Brexit delayed until 12 April Mar 2019 Cooper–Letwin Act passed Apr 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 October Apr 2019 European Parliament election May 2019 Theresa May resigns as PM Jul 2019 Boris Johnson becomes PM Jul 2019 Prorogation and annulment Aug–Sep 2019 Benn Act passed Sep 2019 Withdrawal agreement revised Oct 2019 Brexit delayed until 31 January Oct 2019 2019 general election Dec 2019 Agreement Act passed Jan 2020 UK leaves the European Union Jan 2020 Implementation period begins Jan 2020 UK–EU trade deal agreed Dec 2020 Future Relationship Act passed Dec 2020 Scottish Continuity Act passed Dec 2020 Implementation period ends Dec 2020 New EU–UK relationship begins Jan 2021 UK–EU trade deal ratified Apr 2021 Windsor Framework released Feb 2023 Windsor framework adopted Mar 2023 :

EU portal ·  UK portal :

vte :

The Bloomberg speech was an address on Britain's membership of the European Union, given in January 2013 by the then (Conservative Party) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron. Although presented while the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government was in office, it was given as a party political speech rather than one given on behalf of the UK Government, without the support of the Liberal Democrats.

This was the first major Eurosceptic speech to be given by a serving Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher's Bruges speech in 1988, and would mark the beginning of a series of events starting with the 2015–2016 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership that would ultimately lead to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union seven years later in 2020, thereby ending 47 years of EU membership.

## Composition

The speech was drafted by Edward Llewellyn, the Downing Street Chief of Staff, along with John Casson, Tim Kiddell and Helen Bower, with the opening few pages written by Clare Foges.

## Content

The speech on 23 January 2013 at Bloomberg London covered the UK's future relationship with Europe. The Prime Minister called for fundamental reform of the European Union and called for an in–out referendum to be held on the UK's membership:

   Simply asking the British people to carry on accepting a European settlement over which they have had little choice is a path to ensuring that when the question is finally put – and at some stage it will have to be – it is much more likely that the British people will reject the EU. That is why I am in favour of a referendum. I believe in confronting this issue – shaping it, leading the debate. Not simply hoping a difficult situation will go away.

## Outcome

Initially the speech had little impact politically as at the time polls were suggesting that the subsequent general election would result in a 'hung parliament'. With both Labour and the Liberal Democrats being opposed to an 'in/out' referendum, it was expected that the Conservatives would ultimately have to renege on any promise to hold a referendum if they were to remain in government. The Conservative Party included the referendum in their manifesto for the 2015 general election. Support for the UK Independence Party dropped substantially and the Conservatives won a unexpected small overall majority: the referendum was held in June 2016.

