It is being reported by Shane Greer on Iain Dale's blog that Ming has ruled out the Lib Dems supporting a referendum on having an EU constitution. If so, what a catastrophic and misguided political move it could prove to be.
Ming may support the EU, but most British people are now deeply sceptical of the EU. This does not mean they are anti it, but a further deepening of the EU's powers, or indeed for that matter a taking away of EU powers needs to have the approval of the British people. If the EU constitution is 96% similar to the old constitution then people will want to vote on it. After all, the last constitution apparently did need a referendum.
And for those who support the EU, don;t be under any misapprehension that you are going to strengthen the EU and people's faith in it by getting the new Constitution through without a referendum. The only way to really engage people in the EU and make people like it again is to have a referendum, win the argument and sell the EU to everyone.
By denying the party the right to say that we trust the people on leaflets in a forthcoming election we leaving Lib Dem candidates hamstrung around the country. Ming is wrong on this.
4 comments:
In the past Alex Salmond has said that in any referendum on the eu he would want scotland's vote counted seperately from England.
Ming and brown a both want an independent scotland in europe but the bloody English are going to balls things up for them.
Is this the beginning of the end for Ming?
You are right Nich and Ming is wrong. This will not play well in the West Country - strong Lib Dem territory, but conversely one of the most eurosceptic parts of the UK. Bye, Bye lots of MPs.
I really don't understand why Ming is doing this. We have Labour backbenchers, The Tories, the TUC and until now the Lib-Dems calling for Gordon Brown to honour the Labour Party promise for a referendum. Now Ming has thrown Brown a lifeline! For what?
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