Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreEUSSR
But surely, a referendum on being in the Evil Union in the first place. If the populace are silly/masochistic enough to want to remain in the Evil Union then aren't they getting what they deserve?
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There are not enough people committed to voting against the EU for us to be sure we would win a referendum on leaving the EU (although it is certainly possible for the pro-sovereignty side to win a referendum on quitting the EU: europhiles could find they lose control in a referendum campaign on UK membership of the EU and find public support for getting out rises rapidly during the course of the campaign).
The Liberal 'Democrats' tactics on this (calling for an EU membership referendum) are based on the assumption that people would vote for the status quo (i.e. to stay in the EU).
In other words - we got no referendum on joining the EEC/EU (as you know were only asked in 1975 - two years after entry) and now we are in the EEC/EU the europhile tactic is to count on people backing the status quo.
At this point in time, our efforts should go into stopping this EU Constitution (EU 'Amending' Treaty) - in other words in stopping the EU getting even more power.
I am confident that, in time, support for quitting the EU will rise but think that we have a 100% chance of winning an EU 'Amending' Treaty referendum but less than a 100% chance of winning - at this point in time - a vote on whether the UK should stay in the EU or leave it.
If we lose an EU referendum on "in our out" then the europhiles will push every more forcefully for more EU Treaties handing over what sovereign powers the UK Parliament has left to the EU.
If the europhiles lose a referendum on the EU 'Amending' Treaty - then the europhile movement in the UK would be damaged enormously
. The minority europhile element in the UK would then be in the position of having no EU Constitution (EU 'Amending' Treaty) and no prospect of a Treaty on taking the UK into the hated euro
.