Will the broken referendum promise break the Lib Dems?
Fraser Nelson 8:34pm
At last, some life in the Lisbon Treaty debate – and from the least likely party. All LibDem MPs stood on a manifesto pledge to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution and quite a few (perhaps as many as half) believe they should not break this trust with the voters as Labour has done. Ergo much unhappiness about Clegg’s decision to play follow-my-leader with Brown, without any proper consultation or debate. Clegg has already admitted his party is split on the issue, and yellow brickbats are flying in the blogosphere. But, Clegg can tell his nervous party, no one cares. It’ll never break out of Westminster.
He can think again. I gather the ever-resourceful Open Europe will soon announce it will hold its own EU Treaty referendums in the most marginal LibDem constituencies to hammer home the point that the local MP has dishonoured a manifesto pledge. Remember, current polls suggest half Clegg’s party will lose their seats at the next election – so several of them will have survival, rather than loyalty, on their mind. Thus the true Maastricht-style misery may be inflicted on the LibDems, not the Tories. With LibDem meetings being held early next week, things may heat up quickly. Stay tuned.
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Comments
TGF UKIP
February 3rd, 2008 9:17pmDon't just mock the LibDems, Fraser, the Tories are a rich party with rich eurosceptic backers. If they really believed in and wanted a Referendum they would either finance it straight off or run an appeal to secure funding to conduct a referendum which would seem them deluged with money. They daren't though because six days a week they'd have Ken Clarke (Dave's Constitutional Commission Chairman) and his mates savaging them on the Today Programme and as Ken and his mates are Dave's Best Friends he won't upset them. All good SocDems must stick together!
Max Kaye
February 3rd, 2008 9:29pmI'm not a UKIP supporter, but I noted that Nigel Farage has sensibly said that UKIP will not contest seats held by MPs who are against the Reform Treaty. He was referring to Conservative or Labour EUrosceptics. I'm sure, however, that when survival is at stake, some Lib Dem MPs may declare their newly discovered EUrosceptic tendencies.
mart
February 4th, 2008 11:45amThe whole subject is displaying a squalid and cynical attitude to our country's constitution. In a big way it matters the MPs follow through on manifesto pledges. But even if these pledges had not been made, it is STILL the right thing to do to offer a plebiscite. Most Britons would vote No, and we could then pursue a more enlightened view of co-operation between sovereign nation states. And it would also make good sense if the Tories were to attempt to distinguish themselves further on this issue. They should offer to repatriate the powers that are ceded by this Treaty in the event it is ratified by Parliament. It is time they insisted that no government can bind its successor.
David Lindsay
February 4th, 2008 6:14pmThey should oppose the Treaty because it hands over yet more legislative power to a body which meets in secret and publishes no Official Report, and because it fails to abolish the Common Fisheries Policy. So should the Tories. So should Labour backbenchers. So should everyone. To hell with a referendum. Who needs one? (Although I suppose it would be fun to watch Cameron squirm if the question suddenly became, not a referendum, but the Treaty itself.) After three or four weeks of the BBC on the subject, a referendum would only deliver a Yes vote, anyway.
Brook Whelan
February 4th, 2008 9:35pmThe Lib Dems policy of not supporting a referendum on the EU Constitution, but at the same time advocating a referendum on membership of the EU is illogical and bizarre.