"Keep Britain at the heart of the European Union"

This Friday David Cameron will deliver a speech on the UK's future of the European Union in which he is expected to set out plans to repatriate powers from Brussels to Britain, before offering the public a vote on a fresh deal.

Commenting on Friday's anticipated speech, Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands Bill Newton Dunn said:

"Cameron's pandering to the Euro-sceptics is extremely risky which could result in an outcome that he claims he is against- a British exit from the EU. We must remain a part of the European Union in order to ensure the United Kingdom remains a positive player within Europe. Leaving the EU would weaken the UK's position and jeopardise 3.5 million jobs."

"The East Midlands alone relies heavily on the automotive industry which invests millions of pounds and creates thousands of jobs for the area. Since Toyota's opening in Derby in 1992 it has invested over 1 Billion Pounds in Burnaston, provided at least 4,000 jobs and produced nearly 3 million cars mostly to be exported around the world. Leaving the EU could seriously put these jobs and investment at risk."

"We do not need any more opt-outs. We have already opted out of the Euro, from the Schengen arrangement which created a borderless Europe, from the Charter of Fundamental rights and we have self-marginalised ourselves from European defence and European Diplomacy arrangements as well as from the future Banking Union. Enough is enough."

"Only last week the Obama administration warned against the UK weakening its position within the EU. Considering that there is increasing prospect of an EU-US transatlantic free trade agreement, this is hardly the time for the UK to exclude itself from the negotiating table. Any increased uncertainty about our EU membership could discourage investment in which business confidence is already being damaged."