British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to get tough in European Union negotiations.

Addressing the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester, Cameron also promised to crack down on extremism and make Britain a more equal country.

Cameron said he would create a "Greater Britain" before leaving office before the 2020 national election.

His promises are made as analysts say the road may not be entirely smooth as Cameron leads a party that's euphoric after an unexpected election victory but bitterly divided over whether Britain's future lies inside or out of the European Union.

Cameron has promised to hold a referendum on membership of the 28-nation bloc by the end of 2017. He argues that Britain should stay in as long as he can negotiate looser ties. Many in his party are skeptical of the benefits of membership, and the hundreds of thousands of refugees flowing to and through the EU this year have boosted the "exit" side of the Brexit debate.

"That's why I'm going to fight hard in this renegotiation — so we can get a better deal and the best of both worlds," he said.

Cameron also accused opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of having a "Britain-hating ideology," and aimed to win over Labour centrists with a vision of "one-nation" Conservatism, both patriotic and progressive.

He also said the government would end "passive tolerance" of extremist ideas and introduce inspections for institutions that offer children religious education, including Christian Sunday schools, Jewish yeshivas and Muslim madrassas.

The Conservatives face strong opposition from trade unions and campaigners for the disabled, the poor and others most affected by government spending cuts. Some 60,000 people protested outside the Conservative conference when it opened Sunday, and a few spit and hurled eggs at delegates entering the conference center.