Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Tory MPs not to vote for a referendum on Britain's future in the European Union.
Mr Hague, one of the Cabinet's most prominent eurosceptics, warned against trying to stage a popular vote on the EU at a time of "profound economic uncertainty".
David Cameron is facing potentially the most dangerous rebellion of his premiership so far when the Commons votes on a referendum in backbench debate on Monday.
At least 61 Conservative MPs have now signed a motion calling for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU, leave or renegotiate its membership, and some predict the total number of rebels could top 85.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hague stressed the Conservative Party remained committed to repatriating powers from Brussels, but said that a referendum was not the way to go about it.
"As a Conservative, I want to bring powers back from Europe, as we set out in our election manifesto," he said.
"But a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, especially at this time of profound economic uncertainty, is not the answer.
"Nothing would do more to help our economic recovery than a resolution of the eurozone's difficulties, while its disorderly break-up would have a very serious impact on our economy."
He received welcome support from Tory former cabinet minister, Peter Lilley - seen as a hardline eurosceptic - who also cautioned against a referendum.
"If we are in the business of getting back powers from Europe ... then we have to go about negotiating that return of powers and you cannot do that through a referendum," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Tory MPs not to vote for a referendum on Britain's future in the European Union.
Mr Hague, one of the Cabinet's most prominent eurosceptics, warned against trying to stage a popular vote on the EU at a time of "profound economic uncertainty".
David Cameron is facing potentially the most dangerous rebellion of his premiership so far when the Commons votes on a referendum in backbench debate on Monday.
At least 61 Conservative MPs have now signed a motion calling for a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU, leave or renegotiate its membership, and some predict the total number of rebels could top 85.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Hague stressed the Conservative Party remained committed to repatriating powers from Brussels, but said that a referendum was not the way to go about it.
"As a Conservative, I want to bring powers back from Europe, as we set out in our election manifesto," he said.
"But a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU, especially at this time of profound economic uncertainty, is not the answer.
"Nothing would do more to help our economic recovery than a resolution of the eurozone's difficulties, while its disorderly break-up would have a very serious impact on our economy."
He received welcome support from Tory former cabinet minister, Peter Lilley - seen as a hardline eurosceptic - who also cautioned against a referendum.
"If we are in the business of getting back powers from Europe ... then we have to go about negotiating that return of powers and you cannot do that through a referendum," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.