Mounting evidence that David Cameron does not intend to use the forthcoming renegotiation to carve out special terms for British membership of the European Union is expected to rekindle divisions within his party.
Britain will instead seek to encourage reforms of the EU that would benefit all 28 members, William Hague made clear last night.
The Foreign Secretary said that the coalition would back reforms that would bring back some EU powers to all national parliaments — a move backed by the Liberal Democrats.
The Government is also bracing itself for criticism over the publication of an assessment of the EU’s influence on different areas of government, known as the “balance of competences” review.
Government figures insist that the reviews, which start next week with