British Prime Minister David Cameron said that certain EU reforms would determine whether Britain would still stay within the European Union or not. According to him, the question is not whether Britain would be able to survive outside the EU, a suggestion he had been strongly trying to disprove, but whether the nation would be more successful or not.

“When it comes to the crucial issues, our prosperity, our national security, of course we could try to look after those things outside the EU, but how do we make ourselves more prosperous and secure?” he told business leaders at the CBI conference on Monday. “We need to fix these challenges, fix these problems. That is what the renegotiation is about and then we can throw ourselves headlong into keeping Britain in a reformed Europe.”

The prime minister is to send out his renegotiation proposals in a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday. The reform proposal bars asylum seekers from claiming tax credits and child benefit in their first four years in U.K.

He told the conference that he is “deadly serious” about the proposal and said he has been very clear in explaining to his colleagues what changes need to be brought.

“If these things can’t be fixed then Britain would naturally ask, ‘Do we belong in this organisation?’” he said. “I think people in Europe know I am deadly serious about that and that is what the negotiation that we will be launching tomorrow is all about.”

Cameron’s speech was briefly interrupted by two hecklers who later claimed to be a part of a group called Students for Britain, which is an offshoot of the Vote Leave campaign that believes that U.K. would do better outside the EU.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

RELATED STORIES