Cameron suffers EU vote snub as Tory MPs rebel

The Prime Minister had pleaded with Tory MPs not to back a public vote, warning the move would damage Britain’s interests. He said the chance to repatriate powers from Brussels was coming, but the issue should not be taken on while the Eurozone was “on fire” with the debt crisis.

Mr Cameron said: “Our national interest is to be in the EU, helping to determine the rules governing the single market. (It is) our biggest export market and drives much of the investment into the UK. That is not an abstract, theoretical argument; it matters for millions of jobs and millions of families in our country.”

But his pleas were ignored by a large number of the Tory rank-and-file, many MPs backing the motion. Tories Adam Holloway and Stewart Jackson said they were prepared to resign from minor Government roles to vote for a referendum, Mr Jackson declaring “constituency and country must come before the baubles of Ministerial office”.

Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell also said he was voting in support: “It’s something people feel they’re not being allowed a say on. The argument that this is the wrong time because the European economy is struggling – well, next it will be the wrong time because it will only just be recovering; then it will be the wrong time because it’s starting to do quite well.

“There’s never going to be a perfect time. It just needs sorting out.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband had said earlier Britain “could not afford” to leave the EU and should concentrate on driving reform.