Having sat in for a large part of the debate, I abstained on the EU referendum vote last night. I support a referendum in favour of re-negotiation of UK membership of the EU, based on the common market.
However, I believe the proposed motion was flawed. Putting a 3-question referendum to the public splits the overwhelming majority of support for repatriation of powers (between the largest group who want renegotiation and those who want wholesale withdrawal). It creates a procedure that risks ‘no change’ with as few as 34% voting for the status quo. On that basis, I abstained.
I have consistently argued for a referendum on re-negotiation. For more detail, two recent articles I wrote for The Times and Sunday Times can be accessed here.
Thank you. I can assure you now that you still have my vote.
Please to read that you at least abstained and did not allow yourself into being pressurised into voting against a referendum. However, as a citizen of this country I do want my chance to have some kind of official say, through a referendum, on this but feel that this will never happen.
What worries me is the lazy xenophobia any debate about Europe would likely inspire.
Watching how the "extremes" of both sides of the referendum behaved in this year's referendum doesn't lead to much confidence in the process.
Unless we get a Referendum on Europe the Parliament and people of this country will get less and less a say in the making of the laws in their own country. I know there are several "Grey areas" on Europe. I voted Yes back in 1975 but what I voted for then is completely different from the package we get today. I know Dominic wants to re-negotiate on Europe but I do not think a Referendum could possibly take in all the various options. So for simplicity it must be a straight Yes or No. That is should be stay part of the EU or pull out all together. I know where my X would go.