A new law reasserting the power of UK Parliament law over the EU could be passed, David Cameron has said, once his reform talks are concluded.
“I think there is a good case for it,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The prime minister did not deny reports he had asked Justice Secretary Michael Gove to look into it.
Mr Cameron, who is renegotiating Britain’s EU membership ahead of an in-out vote before 2018, said he was “very suspicious” of Brussels.
The prime minister has said he wants the UK to stay in a reformed European Union, but he has not ruled out campaigning to leave if he cannot secure the changes he wants.
If a deal is agreed with other European leaders at a key EU summit in February, a vote on Britain’s membership of the bloc could potentially be held as early as June.
‘Automatically very suspicious’
It has been reported that the UK government will amend domestic law to make clear that Parliament is sovereign and that Britain’s courts are not bound by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights – a legally binding charter which set out a range of civil, political and social rights enjoyed by the bloc’s citizens.
Mr Cameron said Parliament’s sovereignty was “already asserted” in the Referendum Act – the legislation paving the way for the in-out vote – which prevents “significant” powers being passed to Brussels without UK voters being consulted in a referendum.
But he added: “If it’s necessary to do that again, in more detail, to make it even clearer to people that our Parliament is sovereign… I think there’s a good case for it and so we’ll look very carefully at it.”
Mr Cameron refused to be drawn on whether Mr Gove, the justice secretary, had been tasked with looking at introducing a new law, saying instead that “the whole government is working together on these plans”.
He added: “If you’re a Conservative you don’t like big government and so you’re automatically very suspicious of Brussels. I am very suspicious of Brussels.”
“I would never belong to a European Union if I felt in some way that that was bad for British institutions, for British democracy.”
Asked if such a deal would be acceptable to Eurosceptic Conservatives, such as Boris Johnson, Mr Cameron said he was sure everyone would assess the outcome of his renegotiations, which, he said, were designed to boost competitiveness, exempt the UK from “ever-closer union” and deal with immigration pressures.
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Wesfarmers also owns one of Australia’s biggest supermarket chains, Coles
Australian retail giant Wesfarmers has agreed to buy UK DIY chain Homebase from its owner, Home Retail Group, for £340m (A$705m; $485.2m).
Wesfarmers already owns Bunnings – Australia’s leading supplier of outdoor living and home improvement products.
The Australian retailer said it would spend a further £500m to build up the Homebase business under the Bunnings brand.
The deal is subject to shareholder approval.
Wesfarmers, which owns one of Australia’s biggest supermarket chains, Coles, said the UK’s home improvement and garden market was worth £38bn.
Homebase is the second-largest home improvement and garden products retailer in the UK and Ireland.
The deal is expected to be wrapped up in the first three months of this year, provided shareholders of Home Retail Group agree to the purchase.
‘Compelling opportunity’
Image copyright HRG
Bunnings managing director John Gillam said the acquisition represented a “compelling opportunity to enter the attractive UK home improvement and garden market”.
“Homebase has an established and scalable store platform with strong representation in high density areas,” Mr Gillam said. “The stores are well-sized for the UK market and support warehouse merchandising,” he added.
The move was the first step in building up a new Bunnings-branded business “over three to five years”, Mr Gillam explained.
“We will combine essential local elements with the best of Bunnings to bring customers in the UK and Ireland an exciting new home improvement and garden offer.”
Announcing the deal, Home Retail Group chairman John Coombe said: “We are very pleased to have reached agreement with Wesfarmers regarding the sale of Homebase. We believe that this is the best deal for shareholders and for the business.”
Home Retail Group itself is a bid target for UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s, which is interested in Home Retail Group’s other major business, Argos.
Earlier this month it emerged that Sainsbury’s had a takeover approach for Home Retail Group rejected in November last year.
