Baron von Lotsov

It's a Libdem constituency and a marginal one and some very nice people from "I want a referendum" have stumped up £30 000 to get a local ballot together. To quote our local the constituency has been "thrown into a row over UK membership of the European Union" and the Libdem MP says he is being misrepresented. Well he would say that wouldn't he!

Anyway, well done chaps, who ever you are. I know around these parts the EU is hated about as much as the Labour government but it also has a lot of Liberals. The MP David Heath did a talk to schoolchildren a while back entitled "what it means to be a Liberal". Well I guess they might be a little confused having realised the Liberals blocked a parliamentary campaign to let the people decide when they look up the word liberal in the dictionary, thinking that it might be one of those English words with a double meaning.

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Richard Allen

In fairness to David Heath he does have some redeeming qualities as an MP. As Lib Dem Constitutional Affairs spokesman he has consistently and quite effectively opposed many of nu Labours draconian laws.

Tom Wilde

Nope, that wasn't the Liberals - that was the LibDems! The Liberal Party is strongly in favour of a referendum on the Treaty, and has done its best to persuade the LibDems to honour their election pledge to support one. Unfortunately they don't seem to be in the business of honouring election pledges.

Here are a couple of Liberal Party press releases on the subject:
Liberal Party Press Statement
Liberal Party Press Statement

Britannist

They never have been - they are nothing more than the political arm of the EU in the UK and will hopefully lose many seats at the next General Election (and in next year's EU Election too).

Baron von Lotsov

Sorry, I meant Libdem. My brain can't quite comprehend the 'democratic' reference in the name.

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"A government big enough to supply you with everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have..."

Richard Allen

David Heath has apparently decided that he will vote in favour of a referendum even if it costs him his place on the Lib Dem front bench.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Lib Dem MP to rebel on EU treaty

John Hemming, Lib Dem MP for Birmingham Yardley, has also said he will vote for a referendum.

John Hemming's Web Log: Todays votes on the Reform Treaty

mkpdavies

Time to write to them and congratulate them on having some principle.

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Baron von Lotsov

Yes, it took me by surprise. He's not my MP but the one in the neighbouring constituency and I was not personally aware of his EU position since it is not something he has ever mentioned before. Now it looks like both our MPs are right rebels in that David Heathcoat-Amory also did a similar thing in 1996 where he was in a top cabinet job and left as a result of his position on the Euro. The same year he was awarded lifetime membership of the Privy Council.

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"A government big enough to supply you with everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have..."

Britannist

Heath's result at Somerton-Frome at the last General Election speaks for itself - he is worried about losing his seat if voters who want a referendum on the EU Constitution (EU 'Amending'/Lisbon Treaty) switch from backing him to supporting UKIP instead at the next General Election (notice that Heath's majority of 812 votes over the Conservatives at Somerton-Frome is almost half the combined UKIP/Veritas vote in his constituency at the last General Election):

Not updated: UK General Election results: May 2005

Britannist

Another europhile Liberal 'Democrat' with a small majority: 2672 votes at Birmingham Yardley at the last General Election (over Labour).

Hemming will be worried (like his colleague Heath) in losing votes at the next General Election to political parties calling for a referendum on the EU Constitution (EU 'Amending' Treaty) - with a majority of just 2672 he doesn't have to lose too many before Labour (in second place) win back this normally Labour seat in the heart of the eurosceptic English midlands.

I hope he does lose the seat - the Liberal 'Democrats' are nothing more than the political arm of the EU in the UK and I want them all out of the Commons.

Birmingham Yardley result at the May 2005 General Election:

The Electoral Commission : Election results