Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s Shadow Europe Minister,commenting ahead of the German Chancellor’s visit, said:

“Chancellor Merkel is publicly supportive of Britain’s place in Europe, but on her visit to London she will no doubt reiterate to David Cameron that Germany is not willing to bail him out politically at any cost.

“Unlike David Cameron, Chancellor Merkel will not be driven by the need to pander to the eurosceptics inside today’s Conservative Party. Even once her visit is over, the gap between what David Cameron’s eurosceptic backbenchers are demanding and what European allies such as Germany will accept, remains unbridgeable.

“Europe does need to change, but the tragedy for Britain is that since being elected, David Cameron has spent more time negotiating with his backbenchers than with other EU leaders.”