EU Referendum

[Doggy Styles]

He may have to form a coalition with his mum

In all likelihood he already has. Several times.

[Mich the Tester]

He may have to form a coalition with his mum

I heard he'd done that already.......

Only a couple of letters need changing. I'll lend you a 'p' and a 'u' if you like.

[CheeseSlice]

Would you like a referendum on every important decision?

Absolutely not. However the issue here is that we have been promised a referendum on any change that would involve handing more power over to Brussels, and Number 10 appears to be withdrawing this without even knowing the full details of the changes being proposed. There is a chance the new changes wont affect UK directly (i.e. affects Eurozone members only), but we don't even know that for sure yet.

Just a bit premature IMO, and makes us look like a soft touch to Merkozy

[Mich the Tester]

Absolutely not. However the issue here is that we have been promised a referendum on any change that would involve handing more power over to Brussels, and Number 10 appears to be withdrawing this without even knowing the full details of the changes being proposed. There is a chance the new changes wont affect UK directly (i.e. affects Eurozone members only), but we don't even know that for sure yet.

Just a bit premature IMO, and makes us look like a soft touch to Merkozy

So you want a referendum 'just in case'?

[OwlHoot]

So the UK holds a referendum on whether the Eurozone saves the Euro, the Brits all vote no so plunging the whole of the EU into a crisis forcing another referendum as to whether the UK stays in the EU where everyone votes yes and in the meantime we have a worldwide depression, because the necessary changes couldn't be done on time to the Lisbon treaty to satisfy the international bond markets.

Isn't this a no brainer...the UK doesn't even have the Euro.

It's not about the Euro for the UK - It's about all the concessions Cameron is no doubt making in other areas.

Notice how they are now sneakily talking about a referendum only if there are "major" treaty changes. I don't remember that qualification before. Wasn't it "any" treaty changes?

[Mich the Tester]

It's not about the Euro for the UK - It's about all the concessions Cameron is no doubt making in other areas.

Notice how they are now sneakily talking about a referendum only if there are "major" treaty changes. I don't remember that qualification before. Wasn't it "any" treaty changes?

If the treaty changes only apply to the eurozone then why bother?

[CheeseSlice]

So you want a referendum 'just in case'?

I just don't think it should be taken off the table just yet.
Ideally we wait to see what Merkozy come up with, do the analysis of what it will do to British interests, not just whether it hands power over to Brussels or not, and then decide if this is worthy of a referendum, and then decide what questions to ask. Hopefully this is actually what they're going to do, and the Torygraph are just getting a little ahead of themselves.

I would say the question asked in the referendum would depend on how small or large (or crazy) the treaty change actually is.
If Merkozy want to be crowned king and queen of Euroland, and all other states their humble slaves, the question "Should the UK leave the EU?" should definitely appear in the referendum.
If it disadvantages the UK in some way but requires all EU countries to approve, the referendum would be an important bargaining chip to negotiate a better deal.
If it only affects Eurozone countries, we may get away with no referendum, but we probably don't get a say anyway if only Eurozone countries get a vote.

[Doggy Styles]

We can't demand a referendum on changes if we don't know what the proposals for change are.

[Lockhouse]

We can't demand a referendum on changes if we don't know what the proposals for change are.

Exactly. Time to keep our powder dry. Then when we see the whites of their eyes watch Cameron sell us down the river like any other British politician apart from Thatcher.

[petergriffin]

Referendum on what? On the existing Lisbon treaty, which will be buried next Friday by Angelina Merkel and Brad Sarkozy, or on any possible treaty between UK and the EU?