This all happened yesterday but I thought I’d drop it in here for a bit of week-end reading/discussion
The Conservative Party’s second attempt to have an EU referendum made law has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle. Backbencher Bob Neill’s bill – which provides for an in/out referendum by the end of 2017 – was unopposed at it’s second reading.Although some Labour MPs spoke out against Mr Neil’s referendum bill during yesterday’s four hour debate, no votes were recorded against it as 283 MPs voted in favour.
Similar legislation foundered earlier this year in the House of Lords when it ran out of debating time amid Labour and Liberal Democrat opposition and a successful attempt to scupper it.
The bill, which is backed by the Conservative Party leadership, would create a legally-binding commitment to a referendum.PM Cameron has said he will seek to renegotiate the terms of the UK’s membership of the EU if he remains in power after next May’s election, prior to holding a referendum in 2017
The bill, and indeed the whole question of EU membership, takes on a new significance given UKIP’s impressive showing in bye-elections recently, and which I cast my eye over in a piece here
The BBC has more background on yesterday’s result here while The Telegraph has this piece on why Cameron will found it difficult to “out-UKIP UKIP on EU migration”
Cameron – second time around for EU referendum bill