David Cameron's Europe speech brought forward Mr Cameron will hold talks with European leaders in the coming days in a bid to build support ahead of Friday's speech. The Prime Minister began his diplomatic offensive over the weekend when he had talks with Mrs Merkel and Mark Rutte, the Dutch premier. Mr Cameron is expected to use the speech to set out plans to repatriate some powers from Brussels to Britain - and then give the public a vote on whether they back the new relationship. This is likely to happen in 2017 or 2018. The Prime Minister yesterday attacked the "interference" and "bossiness" of Brussels bureaucrats but said the "beating heart of Britain" knows we need to remain in the EU. Hinting strongly that he will offer a referendum on the UK's relationship with Europe the Prime Minister said the British people must be involved in a "proper debate" about the EU. Mr Cameron warned against holding an immediate in-out referendum in this parliament, saying it would offer voters a "false choice" on the UK's relationship with the EU. In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme the Prime Minister also insisted he was "not blackmailing" the rest of Europe, saying that the UK is "perfectly entitled" to demand that the EU changes. He also said the UK will not "collapse" if it leaves the EU, but repeated that an exit would not be in the country's best interest. Mr Cameron has faced criticism from senior EU officials who have accused him of trying to "blackmail" European states into repatriating powers to the UK. Douglas Alexander, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said the Prime Minister's call for a referendum was motivated by "low politics." "I don't think it's in Britain's interests to have a Prime Minister who seems to be spending more time negotiating with his backbenchers than calling European leaders," Mr Alexander said. I hope that in the coming week he gets his act together.