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Topic History of: Forward to me from Mrs Roger Gale.
Max. showing the last 5 posts - (Last post first)
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andrew |
Roger has asked me to send you this - if you have any observations, please sent them DIRECT TO ROGER at galerj@parliament.uk
Friday, 31 January 2014
Dear Colleague,
Today the Labour Party in the House of Lords have voted to block our Bill that would have ensured a referendum on Britain’s EU membership by the end of 2017.
This is really disappointing news for all of us. It would have been wonderful to have succeeded in turning our referendum commitment into law at our first attempt. But it helpfully does make some things very clear indeed.
First, the Conservative Party has shown its complete commitment to holding an in-out referendum on the EU by the end of 2017. I am particularly grateful to all our MPs who dedicated so much time to successfully getting this Bill through the House of Commons, and, of course, to James Wharton and Lord Dobbs in particular for leading on this legislation. They both did an amazing job.
Second, we have exposed Labour and the Liberal Democrats’ true positions. They don’t want to give the British people their say or let Britain decide on our EU membership. They tried to stop the Bill by talking it out in the Commons but didn’t succeed. In the Lords they showed their true colours by voting to deny our Bill enough time to become law. We needed to get this Bill through the Lords in time for MPs to consider it again on 28 February. That now won’t be possible.
But rest assured that we are not going to give up in our efforts to turn our referendum commitment into law. Far from it. After all, we succeeded in passing it through the House of Commons - a huge achievement.
We are going to try to reintroduce the same Bill in the next session of Parliament and, if necessary, rely on the provisions in the Parliament Act to stop Labour and the Liberal Democrats killing the Bill once again. We are doing everything we can to ensure that an in-out referendum is enshrined in law before the next election.
But the most important point is this: irrespective of these attempts, the Conservative Party remains absolutely committed to giving the British people their say in a referendum. We are the only party that wants to - and can - give the British people their say. That message - that we want to let Britain decide - is what we take to the country as we head into the European and General elections.
It is clearer than ever now where we stand - the only way you can get that referendum is to vote Conservative.
Yours sincerely,
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