Adam Afriyie: more referendum turmoil. Photograph: Rex Features
David Cameron faces a fresh backbench challenge to his EU policy
after a Tory MP said he would push for a Commons vote on holding an
in/out referendum before the general election.
The prime minister's office roundly slapped down Adam Afriyie's plan
to table an amendment to legislation paving the way for a promised vote
in 2017, insisting it would not be allowed to pass "in any
circumstances".
"The PM will not let it stand," a spokesman said.
The Windsor MP, once the subject of leadership bid speculation, said
the public was "not convinced" that the prime minister would stick to
his pledge of a vote if the Conservatives won the general election.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Afriyie said delaying posed "significant dangers", including building support for Ukip.
He claimed the support of "many MPs from across all the main parties" for an early referendum.
But he was warned by the fellow Tory MP attempting to steer the
leadership-backed legislation through Parliament that the move would
delay and even "kill" his private member's bill altogether.
James Wharton said: "This amendment would make it far more difficult
to navigate the challenging procedural hurdles we need to overcome 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.
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.
Cameron said that was impossible because of being in coalition with
the pro-European Lib Dems, but has thrown his weight behind Wharton's
bill.
Afriyie said he would table an amendment bringing forward the referendum date to 23 October 2014.
"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.
"The political establishment are naturally hesitant but we have
nothing to fear by giving people a chance to have their say, either way,
on our future relationship with Europe."
Questioning Cameron's tactics of promising a 2017 vote following a
renegotiation of the UK's relationship with Brussels, he wrote: "The
fact is, the British people are not convinced there will be a referendum
at all if we wait until after the next general election.
"So many things can change. They don't understand why we can't have one right away – and that makes them suspicious.
"Many people think delaying the vote is just a tactic to allow all
the political leaders to kick the can even further down the road.
"In reality, the British people are unsure whether the Conservative
leadership would be able to stick to its promise of holding a referendum
after the election, especially if in coalition once again."
Even if the Tories did win in 2015 there would remain "uncertainty"
over the implementation of the result of a referendum, he suggested.
"Many MPs from across all the main parties want an EU referendum in
2014. But for the Conservative party, I believe the dangers of waiting
are significant.
"Mainstream politicians continue to underestimate and dismiss the
power and significance of populism – currently expressed in the form of
Ukip votes.
"Because at the heart of a populist movement is a legitimate concern unacknowledged by the political establishment.
"By holding an early EU referendum, we would have recognised, embraced and addressed those concerns."
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