John Baron MP: Parliamentary vote on EU referendum is not the end

MP welcomes growing support but says Parliament must give the electorate its say

Tonight in the House of Commons the Amendment to the Queen’s Speech tabled by John Baron MP was voted down. The Amendment regretted the absence of an EU referendum Bill in the Government’s legislative programme announced last week. The vote was lost 277 votes to 130. By and large, Labour and the Liberal Democrats voted against the Amendment, with some exceptions. The Conservative front bench abstained. The DUP supported John’s Amendment.

John said,

“The EU has fundamentally changed since we first joined and is still moving towards closer political union. The political establishment has closed ranks over the last thirty years to deny the electorate its say on the matter. We missed a chance to change that tonight but this is not the end.”

“If the Amendment had been passed, the Prime Minister would have had the mandate to go to the Liberals to get Government legislation introduced. This is the best way of passing a Bill because it would require a majority to defeat it. By contrast, other means of introducing legislation can get blocked by a determined minority.”

“Legislation in this Parliament for a referendum in the next is important because we have to convince a sceptical electorate that we mean business. There is understandable deep public mistrust when people hear politicians making promises about EU referenda – too many have been broken in the past. Legislation is more believable than election manifesto promises.”

“Those of us who voted for the Amendment this evening will continue to explore other avenues to bring forward the legislation in this Parliament. It is the right thing do to. The day will come when Parliament accepts the need for this referendum.”

Notes to Editors:

• The last time an amendment was tabled by a Government back bencher against the Queen’s Speech was in 1947.