UK: EU Membership

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Excerpts

Tuesday 7th January 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Warsi]

I firmly hope and believe that the season of good will is not over. I can assure the noble Lord that, as far as the coalition is concerned, the season of good will is certainly there and we have a coalition that is working well.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Lab)]

My Lords, given the leadership role that the noble Baroness has just outlined for Britain regarding a number of countries in Europe, can she say whether that leadership will be advocating to those countries that they should undertake a referendum in the form that we are?

[Baroness Warsi]

I am really sorry—I think it must be my hearing today.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe]

I will repeat the question and try to put it in simple terms. Are we as the new leaders of a grouping in Europe advocating that others should undertake a referendum in the form that we are likely to take in this country?

[Baroness Warsi]

I think the Conservative Party’s position is that this country needs to have the option to decide and that is why we feel that a referendum should be held in this country before the end of 2017.