Britain’s prime minister David Cameron will be in the Netherlands later this week to discuss his ideas to reform Europe and the pending referendum on British membership.

Denmark, France, Poland and Germany are also on the list of stopovers, as Cameron seeks to gather support for his plans. The talks with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will take place on Thursday, broadcaster Nos reports.

This weekend it emerged that millions of other Europeans, including some 60,000 Dutch nationals, will be excluded from taking part in the crucial vote, even if they have lived in Britain for years.

Meanwhile, ING economists said on Monday a decision by Britain to leave the EU will also hit the Dutch economy.

The ‘unrest’ which the referendum will cause will slow down the growth of the British economy and have a knock-on effect on the rest of Europe, news agency ANP reported. Dutch exports will be hit and the Netherlands will lose a key ally in its wish for more market-orientated reforms, the ING economists say.

Lobby

Britain is the Netherlands’ most important trading partner apart from Germany and the relationship between the two countries has created 300,000 jobs, the economists calculate. In addition, British companies have invested €76bn in the Dutch economy, they say.

Earlier this year it emerged that Dutch companies have been preparing a broad lobby offensive to support continuing British membership of the EU

‘We have collected figures and are offering our members the opportunity to send pro-Europe arguments directly to the British government and politicians,’ Anton Valk, chairman of the Dutch British chamber of commerce NBCC, told the Financieele Dagblad in April.