EAST Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has confirmed he will be campaigning for the UK to stay in the European Union.

Mr Hinds’ announcement follows the outcome of David Cameron’s negotiations with the other 27 EU member states to secure a deal that he hopes will result in a ‘yes’ vote when the issue is put to a public vote at areferendum on June 23.

Described by Mr Hinds as “the biggest national choice” to be faced by this country in a generation, the campaign to inform and persuade UK residents to either exit or stay is already stimulating lively debate.

Mr Hinds said: “There will be people I respect greatly on both sides of the debate. And actually I think there are good points to be made for both sides. But on balance, I believe that, after the settlement the Prime Minister has negotiated, Britain will be better off and more secure if we remain a member of the EU.”

Despite concerns that it could split the Tory party, last month the Prime Minister made the decision to suspend collective responsibility in the run-up to the referendum, to allow ministers to campaign on either side of the argument. As such, the Conservative Party, locally and nationally, will not be promoting either side in the referendum, leaving MPs to make up their own minds about whether to stay in or exit the EU.

In a personal statement issued on Monday, Mr Hinds outlined his reasons for supporting the ‘yes’ campaign, saying: “The single market has been important for our economic growth. The combination of EU membership and the English language has underpinned our strong rate of inward investment. As part of the EU we have more negotiating weight in trade deals with third parties from China to America. And there has been good work done through the EU on shared objectives on the environment and cross-border crime.

“But there are also many features of the EU’s operation – and apparent direction – that had come to be of profound frustration to the people of Britain.

“The binding agreement the Prime Minister has now made with the other 27 nations delivers on the manifesto we presented to the British people and that I stood on for election here in East Hampshire. It makes clear we will not move to ‘ever closer union’, safeguards our competitiveness and the interests of key UK sectors, guarantees the position of countries which have not adopted the Euro (and in our case never will), and curbs the ‘pull factor’ of welfare benefits on immigration.

“The deal secures special status for Britain. We will be outside the Euro and the Schengen border-free area, and protected from deeper integration. But we will retain full access to the single market and a trading bloc of more than 500 million people. We also have commitments to extend the scope of the single market, and complete free trade agreements with more non-EU economies.”

Mr Hinds’ statement continued: “The supposed alternative arrangements to EU membership – a Swiss or Norwegian-style relationship – don’t look quite so good when you get below the surface. Switzerland and Norway still have to accept many of the rules of the EU, but without the say in what those rules are. Whatever we think of the EU’s institutions, its existence is a geographical and commercial reality for Britain. Being in it, we have a say in how it works and affects us.

“I have always said I wouldn’t be afraid of a future outside the EU. Britain is a strong and great nation, one of the world’s major economies and diplomatic powers. The EU is far from perfect, certainly not how we would design it from scratch. But that isn’t the question on June 23. The question is whether, on balance, and following this agreement, it is better to be in rather than out, whether we will be stronger, safer, better off. I believe we will.”