The natives are getting restless…

David Cameron has been given an 18-month deadline by a powerful band of Eurosceptic Tory MPs to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Brussels or face an “all-out war” for a referendum, it emerged yesterday.

Another Eurosceptic backbencher said: “We have agreed to keep quiet on this before the election, but if things do not start happening in the first year or so, there will be all-out war for a referendum.”

UKIP’s performance at the general election may well play a pivotal factor in Cameron’s strategy on Europe. If UKIP shows solid growth in support, then might we possibly see some kind of electoral pact being mooted?

I can foresee a situation whereby a referendum on continued EU membership could be offered in return for UKIP standing aside in a number of seats. Whether UKIP would be open to that is another matter, and a question which rather depends on who our leader is. What is clear is that Europe has returned as an issue.

Many of us in UKIP have said the election after next is the crucial one. These reports would seem to confirm that. If UKIP make solid progress at the election, then it may strengthen the hands of Tory Eurosceptics who may now feel there is a safety net which did not exist before.

What we are seeing might just be the beginning of the crack in the damn, and the moment when Europe can no longer be contained, and when the Conservative Party splits.