LONDON - British voters should be given a say on any "fresh settlement" between Britain and the European Union, Foreign Secretary William Hague said in an interview out Saturday.

Hague told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that Britons could be given the opportunity to express their views in either a general election or a referendum. He indicated that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government would likely reject the notion of a straight in-or-out referendum, the broadsheet said. Instead, the Conservative Party -- which Hague used to lead -- would likely present a plan on renegotiating the return of powers from Brussels which would form the basis of the centre-right party's next election manifesto.
"There's likely to come the time that a fresh settlement will require fresh consent either in a general election or a referendum," he said. Hague stressed he supported Britain's EU membership, but added: "There are major problems in the extent of the bureaucracy, the regulations that continue to be produced... there is too much Europe in our national life." Asked whether the next general election would effectively serve as a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, he said: "On that you'll obviously have to wait for our manifesto for the next election.
"The Prime Minister (David Cameron) has said that he will speak, that he will make a speech on that in the coming months. So I think there will be more answers to that at that time."