Draft Bill fails to quell eurosceptic Tory MPs’ unrest

The Conservatives published a short draft Bill last night setting out proposed legislation to meet the Prime Minister’s pledge in January to offer the British people a vote on EU membership before the end of 2017.

The 500-word document reveals that the question to be put to the British people would be: “Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union?”

But there is little chance of the Bill making it on to the statute book before the next election, with Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats insisting they will not support an in/out vote at this stage.

MPs will vote on a motion later today signed by scores of Tory MPs expressing regret the Queen’s Speech, setting out the Government’s legislative programme for the coming year, did not include steps to enshrine a vote in law.

Among the Yorkshire MPs who signed the motion are Brigg & Goole’s Andrew Percy; Shipley’s Philip Davies; Colne Valley’s Jason McCartney; Calder Valley’s Craig Whittaker; and Haltemprice &
Howden’s David Davis, the former shadow home secretary.

Speaking on a tour of the US, Mr Cameron insisted he was “profoundly relaxed” about the vote. He denied he had been panicked into bringing forward the Bill in a bid to quell Tory unrest, and insisted he has shown “leadership” on Europe since his pledge.

“If this was a Conservative-only Government we would just get on and legislate,” he said. “We can’t do that because we’re in coalition. But I have always said that anything we can do to strengthen, add credibility to the pledge... we should do.”

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