David Cameron: EU referendum is the 'people's choice'

David Cameron shrugged off critics from within Conservative ranks who say the UK should leave the European Union, arguing the decision would not be made by politicians but was the “people’s choice”.

Speaking in Wales shortly after former Tory leader Michael Howard said Britain should leave the EU, Cameron said it was down to UK citizens to decide on the country’s future.

The prime minister said: “Everyone is going to have to make their own decision. This is not a debate between politicians. It’s a debate for the whole of the country to get involved in and to make their decision. It’s a very simple question on the ballot paper. You either remain in the European Union or you leave the European Union. It’s a single decision, it’s a final decision.”

Addressing workers at the GE Aviation plant near Caerphilly, south Wales, Cameron said: “We are part of the biggest free-trade single market in the world: 500 million people. We need to be able to trade with that market. Businesses like this one need to be able to trade their goods and services without any tariffs, taxes, restrictions; 100,000 jobs in Wales are in some way reliant on European trade. I don’t think we should put those at risk.

“For me the choice is between a greater Britain inside the EU or a great leap in the dark outside the EU. It will be your choice. As your prime minister I will put in place whichever side you choose. If we stay in I’ll fix that. If you want us to leave I’ll make sure that happens. That is what this referendum is about. It’s not the politicians’ choice, it’s the people’s choice. We can have the best of both worlds if we stay in.”

The visit to south Wales was the first leg of a campaign tour that will also take in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Cameron faced questions about the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, who has said he will campaign for Britain to leave the EU. “As for Welsh MPs or members of the assembly, it’s up to them to make their choice,” Cameron said. “Each of them only has one vote. It will be the people of the UK who will make this decision.”

Conversely, he said he was happy to campaign alongside political opponents including the Labour leader in the UK, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Welsh first minister, Carwyn Jones, on the issue. The prime minister said there would be some “strange bedfellows” during the campaign. “This issue goes above politics,” he added. “This brings parties together.”

According to a poll released this month, 45% of people in Wales back leaving the EU – up 3%. The poll suggested 37% of people wanted to stay. Cameron said Wales did well out of the EU. “When we ask ourselves the question, what does Wales get out of Europe, there are about 100,000 jobs in Wales directly linked to trade with Europe, there’s £1.8bn that’s going to come in grants to Wales over the next four or five years, there’s the support for Welsh universities and for research programmes.”

About £5.8bn worth of goods were exported from Wales to the EU in 2014, which accounted for 43% of its overseas trade.

The prime minister said hi-tech companies such as GE Aviation, which services, reconditions and overhauls civilian jet engines in south Wales, were attracted to the area because of the “fantastic workforce” and because the UK is a “great economic powerhouse”. But he said: “They also come because we are part of the European Union. If you base yourself here you know you have that access through the European Union for your goods and services.”

Cameron was asked why the EU had not done more to stop cheap Chinese steel flooding into the UK. About 750 steelworkers face losing their jobs down the road at Port Talbot in the coming months. Cameron said the UK was in a stronger position to deal with the issue as it was part of Europe.

He denied that with the Welsh assembly elections coming up in May, it was a bad time to hold a referendum campaign. He said: “This is bigger than local elections, assembly elections, it’s bigger than a British general election. This is about the sort of country we’re going to have for the next 20 or 30 years – our place in the world ... it’s a massive decision. This is a decision for the British people: you are sovereign, you are the boss.”