DAVID Cameron must be in a fix. He has promised a referendum by 2017 on “renegotiated terms”, yet either he is ignorant of how the EU works, or is trying to bury his head in the sand.

Recently, on BBC Question Time, Tory health minister Jeremy Hunt said that “Germany was behind us” as if that meant all would be well.

It’s complete nonsense. Any real change in our membership terms would need treaty change, and for that to happen, all 27 other member states of the EU must agree unanimously.

It won’t happen, or if it does, there is no way it will do so by 2017. I believe it was always Mr Cameron’s intention to say in 2017: “Well, I have tried, but the EU won’t agree terms, it’s all their fault not mine, so I have no renegotiated terms to put to the people in a referendum,” and try to wriggle out of his promise that way.

However, I believe that the promise has been taken on board to such an extent by the Euro-sceptics within his party that he will find it both impossible to renegotiate and impossible to refuse a referendum, and that will make his position as leader untenable.

Why UKIP did not push this point at all during the election campaign is beyond me, unless of course the 24 UKIP MEPs do not really want to lose their extremely well-paid jobs, and the whole UKIP set-up is no more than an excuse for an easy life in Brussels/Strasbourg, occasionally making noises.

I passionately believe we would be better outside the EU, and am beginning to believe that is why, as their local prospective parliamentary candidate until last September, UKIP made my life so difficult.

We also need to ask what will the referendum question be...words can be so important in pushing people one way or the other, and will the result be binding on the government?

KIP WAISTELL Vowchurch