Trade union Unite to urge Labour to back EU referendum - FT

(Reuters) - Britain's largest trade union, Unite, will urge the Labour Party to back Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to put the country's EU membership to a public vote, the Financial Times reported. Unite, the largest donor to the Labour Party, will warn that the party has been too "uncritical" of Brussels in a motion that will be put to a vote at its annual conference on Wednesday, the daily said. (http://on.ft.com/1xdouFJ) The paper said Unite will describe Labour Party leader Ed Miliband's opposition to a referendum as an "electoral millstone." The union could not be immediately reached for comment outside of regular business hours. Unite is expected to say that country is better off in the EU, warning that a departure could hurt investment in manufacturing and other industries, the FT said. The prime minister has pledged to try to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU if re-elected next year before giving Britons an in/out EU membership referendum in 2017. (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bangalore; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)