THOUSANDS of ballot papers have been issued to voters in a Yorkshire constituency as an unofficial referendum on the EU Reform Treaty was launched today.
More than 38,000 voters in Pudsey are being given a say on the controversial treaty after the Government refused to hold a national referendum.
Campaign group I Want a Referendum is behind the vote in the marginal seat held by Labour MP Paul Trusw
ell.
Derek Scott, chairman of the cross-party I Want A Referendum group, was due to attend the launch outside Pudsey Town Hall as ballot papers and information leaflets were due to start landing on doorsteps of registered voters.
Mr Scott said: "We're giving the people of Pudsey a chance to have the vote the Government is denying them.
"We want to remind MPs of their commitments – every political party promised a referendum at the last election, and MPs must be held to that."
Mr Brown has refused to give the public a say on whether to adopt the Lisbon Treaty – currently being scrutinised by MPs in Parliament – insisting it is different from the abandoned EU constitution, on which Labour promised a referendum.
Yesterday a judge threw out a legal case brought by UK Independence Party parliamentary hopeful Stuart Bower who accused Mr Brown of breach of contract over his refusal to hold a referendum.
Voters in Pudsey will be asked whether there should be a national referendum on the Treaty, and whether it should be adopted by the UK. Residents have until February 25 to take part.
Victor Watson, chairman of Yorkshire for a Referendum, the group's regional arm, said: "This is an issue of trust. At the last election, MPs from all parties, including Paul Truswell, vowed to back a referendum on the EU Constitution. We simply want him to keep his promise."
The full article contains 311 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
