Pressure on Cameron to bring forward vote on the EU

[Mich the Tester]

So we'll outsource it to India and get a decent job done of it.

KUATB

[Old Greg]

Yes. Those things were made by scientists, engineers and techies. Ballots are organised by politicians and civil servants.

So we'll outsource it to India and get a decent job done of it.

[Old Greg]

Yes. Those things were made by scientists, engineers and techies. Ballots are organised by politicians and civil servants.

So we'll outsource it to India and get a decent job done of it.

[Mich the Tester]

Are you telling us that the country that invented:

1. The steam engine
2. The railroad locomotive
3. Smallpox vaccine
4. The computer
5. The telegraph
6. Photography
7. The telephone
8. The cathode ray tube
9. Television
10. The turbojet aircraft engine


...cannot hold a simple ballot to determine whether its people want to remain in the EU or leave the EU?

Yes. Those things were made by scientists, engineers and techies. Ballots are organised by politicians and civil servants.

[mudskipper]

So which one is it?

We need a poll!

11) AndyW's mum's favourite toy

[petergriffin]

Are you telling us that the country that invented:

1. The steam engine
2. The railroad locomotive
3. Smallpox vaccine
4. The computer
5. The telegraph
6. Photography
7. The telephone
8. The cathode ray tube
9. Television
10. The turbojet aircraft engine

So which one is it?

[amcdonald]

Don't worry we've got Daves cast iron guarantee

[scooterscot]

Are you telling us that the country that invented:

1. The steam engine
2. The railroad locomotive
3. Smallpox vaccine
4. The computer
5. The telegraph
6. Photography
7. The telephone
8. The cathode ray tube
9. Television
10. The turbojet aircraft engine


...cannot hold a simple ballot to determine whether its people want to remain in the EU or leave the EU?

Our glorious leader in westminster will not allow it.

[Platypus]

Actually, it does kind of make sense to have the vote and result before the Scottish vote.

Then the Scots can see what they're voting for.

[Dominic Connor]

This is an obscure politico trying to get noticed.

Forget whether you like or dislike Europe, or even whether you want to vote sooner or later, it is insanely difficult to get the legislation through, printing the ballot papers, the voting process set up, the exact form of words for the question agreed, funding limits for the campaigns, arguments on how much of the funding should be from the state a slot chosen that doesn't clash with other stuff and allowing (after agreeing) a suitable time for the sides to make their case.

One day we will vote online though Surveymonkey or whatever, then you can vote on anything that we are allowed to express an opinion on, but that day is not dawning any time soon.

Finally, Cameron will pick a time that suits Cameron, this is a big thing he will want to get right, the coalition means he doesn't have a free hand, but he's not going to let the time be chosen by some random politico.

[scooterscot]

It could be wonderful,

September 18th 2014

October 18th 2014

David would have his place in the history books secured for the next couple of centuries!

David Cameron is facing fresh pressure from within his own party to hold a referendum before the next general election on whether Britain should remain in the EU.

Adam Afriyie, Conservative MP for Windsor, has announced plans to table an amendment to legislation promising an in/out vote in 2017. The amendment is intended to bring forward a referendum to before the 2015 election.

No 10 has said that it would not be allowed to pass “in any circumstances”. “The PM will not let it stand,” a spokesman said.

The attempt adds pressure to Mr Cameron however. Mr Afriyie said that the public was “not convinced” that the Prime Minister would stick to his promise of a vote on the issue if the Conservatives win the election.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said that delay posed “significant dangers” including building support for the UK Independence Party, which is a serious concern for many colleagues and activists.

“It’s in our national interest to resolve this issue as soon as possible to create the certainty and stability our country needs for the future,” he said.

“Only by setting an early date can we kick-start EU renegotiation talks and give the British people what they so clearly want - a say on our country’s future with Europe.”

Mr Afriye said his amendment would bring the vote forward to October next year. He claimed the support of “many MPs from across all the main parties” for an early referendum.

The MP added that many voters suspected that delaying the vote until after a general election is “just a tactic to allow all the political leaders to kick the can even further down the road”.

The author of the Private Member’s Bill, James Wharton, Tory MP for Stockton South, has warned however that Mr Afriyie’s move will do no more than delay the planned legislation and could even “kill” the Bill altogether.

“This amendment would make it far more difficult to navigate the challenging procedural hurdles we need to overcome,” he said, “and I hope its sponsors might rethink their approach.

“We need to build as broad a base of support for the Bill as we can if we are to get it through Parliament and the policy of a renegotiation, followed by an in/out referendum, is the right one to do that and the right one for the country.

“I hope MPs will decline to support it as the ultimate impact might well be to kill my Bill, which would only help those who don’t want any referendum at all.”

The European Union (Referendum) Bill easily cleared its first Commons hurdle in July after Labour and the Liberal Democrats stayed away. MPs are due to vote on it again on November 8.

Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have dismissed the Bill as a stunt designed to shore up the Prime Minister’s position with his rank and file, pointing out that it has virtually no chance of becoming law.

In May 115 Conservative MPs backed a rebel amendment to the Queen’s Speech criticising the failure to include a referendum Bill in the Government’s legislative programme.

Mr Cameron said that was impossible because of the coalition with the pro-European Lib Dems but has thrown his weight behind Mr Wharton’s Bill.