The British Prime Minister has been setting out why he is in favour of offering voters a choice on whether or not they want to stay in the EU.

But in his long-awaited speech on Europe David Cameron says he does not believe now is the right time to make a decision.

He says the Tories will put it in their manifesto in 2015 and if elected there will be a vote in the first half of the next parliament.

"The next Conservative Manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative Government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners in the next Parliament" he said.

'We cannot leave Europe'

He continued "It will be a relationship with the Single Market at its heart".

"And when we have negotiated that new settlement, we will give the British people a referendum with a very simple in or out choice. To stay in the EU on these new terms; or come out altogether".

"It will be an in-out referendum" he added.

However Mr. Cameron also set limits on the proposals, saying "If we leave the EU, we cannot of course leave Europe. It will remain for many years our biggest market, and forever our geographical neighbourhood".

"Hundreds of thousands of British people now take for granted their right to work, live or retire in any other EU country".

While Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has said it will hopefully bring an end to Britain's "ambiguity" over EU membership.