UK anti-EU party leader calls for Eurosceptic rivals to come together

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's anti-EU party, UKIP, called on Saturday for Eurosceptic politicians from rival parties to put aside "personal animosities" and join the campaign against Britain's continued membership of the bloc. Prime Minister David Cameron is currently attempting to persuade European leaders to back EU reform before holding an in-out referendum on Britain's EU membership. He has promised the vote by the end of 2017. Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), said the "Yes" campaign to stay in had already started, but many Eurosceptics, including senior figures in Cameron's Conservative Party, were waiting to see what reform was achieved before voicing their opposition. He said it would be to late to begin a proper "No" campaign if Cameron called a referendum early next year. "If that happened, the 'No' campaign simply wouldn't have time to organise and mobilise"," Farage told BBC radio. "As far as we're concerned there's nothing Mr Cameron's asking for that could be acceptable. We've got to get (going)." Cameron wants to restrict EU migrants' access to British welfare, improve the single market, and win safeguards to ensure countries outside the euro zone are not put at a disadvantage by greater integration. Some business leaders have begun warning about a risk to Britain's economy should the country vote to pull out of the bloc, and EU-supporters will shortly create a new group to run a "Yes" campaign, sources told Reuters last month Farage, a charismatic figure but whose outspoken views are often divisive, said veteran Eurosceptics from the Conservative and main opposition Labour parties needed to put aside their "personal jealousies or animosities" to argue for an EU exit. He said he did not see UKIP, which secured almost 4 million votes in May's national elections, leading the "No" campaign, but would put its weight behind an umbrella group of business leaders, politicians and others to "fight the ground game". (Reporting by Michael Holden Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)