US President Barack Obama has come under fire from some British politicians for recommending that the United Kingdom must remain in the European Union to continue to have influence in the world. 

In an interview with the BBC broadcast on Thursday, Obama said Britain’s EU membership "gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union."

British Conservative and Eurosceptic politicians have criticized the US president’s interference in domestic affairs, saying it was up to the British people to decide.

One of the strongest reactions came from deputy leader of the UK Independent Party Paul Nuttall, who described Obama as the "most anti-British (US) president in a generation."

Tom Pursglove, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Conservative Party, said Friday the issue of EU membership is an internal matter and that Obama cannot tell the British people what to do.

Daniel Hannan, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing South East England, tweeted on Friday, “Tell you what, Barack Obama, if you’re so keen on the EU, why don’t *you* pay to bail out the wretched euro?”

EU membership has long been a controversial topic in Britain. Eurosceptics, who believe the UK would be better off outside the political and economic union, seek the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Since 2010, polls have indicated that the British public is divided on the question of EU membership.

A referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the EU is planned to take place before the end of 2017.

The consensus view by EU member states is that in the aftermath of the eurozone crisis, there needs to be greater integration and centralization of power in Brussels.

But such a move would be wildly unpopular in the UK, which is not a member of the eurozone and fears being outvoted on major issues by the eurozone bloc.