Shropshire Tory MPs lukewarm over David Cameron's draft EU agreement

Mr Cameron said the draft agreement thrashed out with European Council president Donald Tusk would allow the UK to be "better off, more secure, more prosperous" as a member of the 28-nation bloc, as he set the scene for an in-out referendum within a matter of months.

The Prime Minister said the proposals were "something worth fighting for", and were good enough that he "sure would" back Britain joining the EU under these terms, if it was not already a member. But North Shropshire MP and former minister Owen Paterson was quick to dismiss the effort.

As late June emerged as a probably referendum date, the well-established eurosceptic, tweeted: "What a wasted opportunity! I can't believe Number 10 think they can win by selling this as fundamental renegotiation."

Telford's Lucy Allan, who recently suggested she would vote to leave the EU, said she would be reading the report with interest – but added that so far she was not convinced the changes were radical enough.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, Shrewsbury's Daniel Kawczynski and Montgomeryshire's Glyn Davies said they were still to make up their mind about how they would vote, while North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has already declared he will be campaigning to leave the European Union.

The Wrekin's Mark Pritchard has said he will be voting to stay.

The proposed changes offer an "emergency brake" on migrant welfare, protections for non-eurozone states and a legal-binding assurance that the UK is not expected to pursue integration through "ever-closer union".

Mr Cameron said they offered Britain "the best of both worlds" by giving it access to the single market and a voice around the table of the European Council, while allowing it to remain outside the euro and the Schengen border-free area.

Mr Davies said the agreement was what he had expected, but said he would be taking his time before coming to a decision.

"I think it's a successful negotiation. It's exactly what I had expected. There's no surprises and I think the Prime Minister is a highly competent negotiator," he said.

"I have also been a very committed eurosceptic, and I'm still not certain what I will be doing. I am going to take my time, and will decide much later on which way I will vote."

Mr Dunne, who is a defence minister, said he would be reading the draft agreement with care. "It seems to propose significant changes to the UK relationship with the EU," he said. "This is an important step in the renegotiation, but I shall await the final outcome before making up my mind whether to vote to remain or to leave in the forthcoming referendum."

Mr Kawczynski said the deal appeared to be positive, and believed it would reduce the present unmanageable net migration levels. "It is also vital we remain exempt from the drive for 'ever closer union' and the red-card system, which I will look at more closely, does appear on the face of things to be an encouraging step towards greater roles for sovereign Parliaments like our own," he said.

"Many have expressed their regret that the Prime Minister did not go further in these negotiations in terms of what he sought from the EU and I have some sympathy with this view. I will take time to digest the deal and will consult with my association before coming to a decision on whether Britain should leave or remain."

Ms Allan said she would be listening carefully to today's statement in the Commons. "I want to listen to what he has to say," she said. "However, the proposals at this stage do not suggest to me that Britain's best interests would be served by remaining in the EU. I believe we need more radical reform of Britain's relationship with the EU."

Mr Cameron said Britain could survive and succeed outside the EU and acknowledged that the EU will not be "a perfect and unblemished organisation" after the implementation of the reforms.

He said: "I think this is the best of both worlds – out of the single currency, out of the no-borders agreement, out of an ever-closer union, but in the things that work for Britain, that give us jobs, that give us security, that give us the ability to make sure we have a stronger and safer world. I think that's worth fighting for."

Advocates of UK withdrawal from the EU were scathing about the deal negotiated by David Cameron. Ukip leader Nigel Farage described it as "truly pathetic". He added: "There is no treaty change, no repatriation of powers, no ability to control our own laws, our money or our borders."

As expected, the document proposes measures to improve EU competitiveness, a 55 per cent threshold for national parliaments to force the EU to alter or scrap proposed laws, as well as assurances that the rights of non-eurozone states will be protected as the single currency area integrates. It states in law for the first time that the euro is not the EU's only currency and that the commitment to "ever-closer union" does not oblige all member states to "aim for a common destination".

It makes clear that non-euro states are not required to bail out single currency members, and proposes a new mechanism for non-euro states to escalate concerns about possible discrimination in favour of the eurozone for discussion by the European Council, as the PM has demanded.