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Saturday, 15th September 2007

Only a Lib Dem could get it this wrong

1:56am

Sir Menzies Campbell's call for a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU is a desperate bid to preserve party unity on the eve of what may be his last conference as Lib Dem leader. No less than Harold Wilson in 1974-5, he seeks to avert a party split by backing a plebiscite. The trouble is that the question Ming wants to pose - In or Out - is a complete irrelevance (except for Ukip voters). The controversy over the re-heated EU Constitution, now stripped of grandiose language but substantially the same as it was in 2004, has nothing whatsoever to do with membership of Europe. It is about trust and Labour's unambiguous pledge in its 2005 manifesto to hold a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty (or Reform Treaty as it is now relabelled after the deal struck this year). Either the Government honours that pledge or it does not. It is a wearyingly familiar ploy - the hysterical insinuation that every Eurosceptic really wants to get out of the EU entirely. Does that include Gordon Brown who had the good sense to keep us out of the euro? Or John Major who negotiated the Maastricht opt outs? In fact, the argument should not even be about Euroscepticism versus integrationism, but about political honour and transparency. A promise is a promise, or ought to be. Sir Ming has merely confused a very simple issue of principle, as only Lib Dems can. Pitiful stuff from a third-rate party leader already in the departure lounge.

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September 15th, 2007 8:06am Report this comment

Of course all you say is right ut do you think Ming will get away with it? Or will he shed votes to the Tories? On the wider issue, do the voters CARE about trust or do they vote on some other principle entirely? I don't now but do you? This is your area (politics) after all so you ought to. Nothing good can happen in tis counry politically until w have a Tory government. Good God I'd even put up with posh Dave for that.

David Lindsay

September 17th, 2007 11:56am Report this comment

With the Lib Dems promising a referendum on EU membership, might Enoch Powell live again in the forms in Simon Heffer, Peter Hitchens, Janet Daley, et al? This one could run and run, and really could kill off the Conservative Party once and for all at the next Election.

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