By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:11 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:53 EST, 24 January 2013 . David Cameron’s insistence on an EU referendum would not prevent the Lib Dems entering into a new coalition with the Tories, Nick Clegg revealed today. The Deputy Prime Minister repeated his attack on Mr Cameron’s ‘vague’ promise of a renegotiation of Britain's membership of the European Union, claiming it would damage jobs and growth. But he insisted he did not object to a referendum ‘in principle’ as Business Secretary Vince Cable predicted the British public would vote to stay in the EU. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg used his weekly radio phone-in to reveal he would not block David Cameron's EU referendum in the event of a new coalition in 2015 . Mr Cameron used his long-awaited speech yesterday to announce plans to start drawing up legislation for a referendum and renegotiating powers from Brussels before putting a fresh settlement to the people before 2017. Today the PM met some of the European leaders face-to-face at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His speech to the gathering of political, economic and business leaders focused on Britain's priorities for its 12-month presidency of the G8, including counter-terrorism, tax and transparency. But he touched on the European question, insisting that his EU policy was ‘not about turning our backs on Europe - quite the opposite’. Mr Cameron used a speech at the World Economic Forum today to insist he was not turning his back on Europe . David Cameron was today was branded . 'Europe's Scaredy-cat' in an editorial by the German news magazine . Spiegel over his plans for an EU referendum. In an online piece published today, it was claimed the PM’s pledge to hold a referendum by 2017 was driven by ‘fear’. ‘Fear . of his party, fear of voters, and fear of the EU itself, which he . neither fully understands nor has ever really been interested in,’ it . said.It claims his . long-awaited speech on Europe was ‘boring’ and was ‘an attempt to shake . off a troublesome issue by postponing it to a later date’. ‘He . wants Europe to be a free trade zone with beach access. He missed an . opportunity on Wednesday to haul Britain back to the centre of Europe. ‘Apart . from vague demands like competitiveness, flexibility and fairness, he . has no idea how the EU should develop. ‘His thinking on Europe is . indecisive and chained to the present. 'What . Europe witnessed on Wednesday was a speech delivered by a politician . prone to knee-jerk reactions who lacks values or a vision. He lacks . gravity. Cameron floats above Europe like an astronaut.’ He said: ‘This is about how we make the case for a more competitive, more open and more flexible Europe and how we secure the UK's place in it.’ Setting out his case for reform of the EU, Mr Cameron added: ‘It is not just right for the United Kingdom, it is necessary for Europe. ‘Europe is being out-competed, out-invested, out-innovated and it is time we made the EU an engine for growth, not a cause of cost for businesses and complaint for its citizens.’ The speech came shortly after Mr Clegg repeated his criticism that delaying a referendum for five years created ‘uncertainty which could deter investors from setting up businesses in Britain. ‘I simply don’t understand the point of spending years and years, and years tying yourself up in knots first, so called ‘renegotiating’ the terms of Britain’s membership in ways that at the moment at least, are completely vague,’ Mr Clegg said during his weekly radio phone-in on LBC 97.3. ‘That discourages investment and inhibits growth and jobs, which has to remain our absolute priority at a time when the economy is still struggling to recover.’ Labour leader Ed Miliband yesterday told MPs: ‘No, we don't want an in-out referendum.' But Mr Clegg insisted he was not opposed to a referendum in theory: ‘It’s not the principle of a referendum. I’ve got absolutely no fear of a referendum at all.’ With opinion polls pointing to a possible hung parliament at the 2015 general election, Mr Cameron made clear delivering a referendum would be a deal breaker in any new coalition. Mr Clegg made clear the Lib Dems would not block it. ‘If a coalition is necessary following the votes of the British people then we’ll play our part,’ he said. It follows former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy saying he could not envisage his party agreeing to a referendum if the Conservatives failed to win a majority at the next election and wanted to form another coalition. But Business Secretary Vince Cable today insisted the Liberal Democrats have no quarrel with a referendum. He said he and his party were confident Britain would remain within the EU, and that the public would make sure of it. 'We have no quarrel with the principle of a referendum and indeed, Parliament in the UK has recently voted for the conditions under which a referendum will happen,' Mr Cable said during a trip to Dublin. 'I am pretty confident that the British people, when it comes to it, will support it. They have to engage in that debate now and make sure it's won.'
Lib Dem leader says he does not object to a referendum in principle .
Uses radio phone-in to warn against 'years and years' of uncertainty .
PM tells World Economic Forum he is not turning his back on Europe .
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:11 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:53 EST, 24 January 2013 . David Cameron’s insistence on an EU referendum would not prevent the Lib Dems entering into a new coalition with the Tories, Nick Clegg revealed today. The Deputy Prime Minister repeated his attack on Mr Cameron’s ‘vague’ promise of a renegotiation of Britain's membership of the European Union, claiming it would damage jobs and growth. But he insisted he did not object to a referendum ‘in principle’ as Business Secretary Vince Cable predicted the British public would vote to stay in the EU. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg used his weekly radio phone-in to reveal he would not block David Cameron's EU referendum in the event of a new coalition in 2015 . Mr Cameron used his long-awaited speech yesterday to announce plans to start drawing up legislation for a referendum and renegotiating powers from Brussels before putting a fresh settlement to the people before 2017. Today the PM met some of the European leaders face-to-face at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His speech to the gathering of political, economic and business leaders focused on Britain's priorities for its 12-month presidency of the G8, including counter-terrorism, tax and transparency. But he touched on the European question, insisting that his EU policy was ‘not about turning our backs on Europe - quite the opposite’. Mr Cameron used a speech at the World Economic Forum today to insist he was not turning his back on Europe . David Cameron was today was branded . 'Europe's Scaredy-cat' in an editorial by the German news magazine . Spiegel over his plans for an EU referendum. In an online piece published today, it was claimed the PM’s pledge to hold a referendum by 2017 was driven by ‘fear’. ‘Fear . of his party, fear of voters, and fear of the EU itself, which he . neither fully understands nor has ever really been interested in,’ it . said.It claims his . long-awaited speech on Europe was ‘boring’ and was ‘an attempt to shake . off a troublesome issue by postponing it to a later date’. ‘He . wants Europe to be a free trade zone with beach access. He missed an . opportunity on Wednesday to haul Britain back to the centre of Europe. ‘Apart . from vague demands like competitiveness, flexibility and fairness, he . has no idea how the EU should develop. ‘His thinking on Europe is . indecisive and chained to the present. 'What . Europe witnessed on Wednesday was a speech delivered by a politician . prone to knee-jerk reactions who lacks values or a vision. He lacks . gravity. Cameron floats above Europe like an astronaut.’ He said: ‘This is about how we make the case for a more competitive, more open and more flexible Europe and how we secure the UK's place in it.’ Setting out his case for reform of the EU, Mr Cameron added: ‘It is not just right for the United Kingdom, it is necessary for Europe. ‘Europe is being out-competed, out-invested, out-innovated and it is time we made the EU an engine for growth, not a cause of cost for businesses and complaint for its citizens.’ The speech came shortly after Mr Clegg repeated his criticism that delaying a referendum for five years created ‘uncertainty which could deter investors from setting up businesses in Britain. ‘I simply don’t understand the point of spending years and years, and years tying yourself up in knots first, so called ‘renegotiating’ the terms of Britain’s membership in ways that at the moment at least, are completely vague,’ Mr Clegg said during his weekly radio phone-in on LBC 97.3. ‘That discourages investment and inhibits growth and jobs, which has to remain our absolute priority at a time when the economy is still struggling to recover.’ Labour leader Ed Miliband yesterday told MPs: ‘No, we don't want an in-out referendum.' But Mr Clegg insisted he was not opposed to a referendum in theory: ‘It’s not the principle of a referendum. I’ve got absolutely no fear of a referendum at all.’ With opinion polls pointing to a possible hung parliament at the 2015 general election, Mr Cameron made clear delivering a referendum would be a deal breaker in any new coalition. Mr Clegg made clear the Lib Dems would not block it. ‘If a coalition is necessary following the votes of the British people then we’ll play our part,’ he said. It follows former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy saying he could not envisage his party agreeing to a referendum if the Conservatives failed to win a majority at the next election and wanted to form another coalition. But Business Secretary Vince Cable today insisted the Liberal Democrats have no quarrel with a referendum. He said he and his party were confident Britain would remain within the EU, and that the public would make sure of it. 'We have no quarrel with the principle of a referendum and indeed, Parliament in the UK has recently voted for the conditions under which a referendum will happen,' Mr Cable said during a trip to Dublin. 'I am pretty confident that the British people, when it comes to it, will support it. They have to engage in that debate now and make sure it's won.'
growth. But he insisted he did not object to a referendum ‘in principle’ as Business Secretary at the World Economic Forum in Davos, insist he was not turning his back on Europe . understand the point of spending years and years, follows former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy