Cameron’s announcement, made after the first cabinet meeting to be held on a Saturday since the Falklands War in 1982, follows intense negotiations in Brussels over the past two days to finalize a deal with fellow EU leaders resetting Britain’s relationship with the 28-nation bloc.
Now, attention turns to the stance of ministers who have been given a free hand by Cameron to campaign against the government’s position. They were asked not to announce their intentions until after the cabinet meeting.
"Leaving Europe would threaten our economic and national security," Cameron said, Bloomberg reported.
Cameron reached an EU reform deal in Brussels late Friday at a summit of the group's leaders. He sought to amend the country's relationship with the EU ahead of announcing a date for the referendum, in part because he faces skepticism within his own Conservative Party about the merits of retaining Britain’s ties with the 28-nation political bloc.