European Union Bill

John Spellar Excerpts

Monday 24th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice]

Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right.

[Mr John Spellar (Warley) (Lab)]

Will the hon. Gentleman remind us which party has given the country a referendum on the European Union?

[George Eustice]

I give credit to the Labour Government of some 35 years ago for giving us that one and only referendum.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jenkin]

I am most grateful to be speaking under your chairmanship, Mr Brady. I will endeavour to be briefer than some hon. Members have been this afternoon.

We are discussing the trigger for a referendum in the Bill. It is worth pointing out the undercurrent in this debate: some people are speaking because they do not think that there have been enough referendums and others are speaking because they do not want referendums. The official Opposition have got into a bit of trouble with their amendment. My right hon. Friend the Member for Charnwood (Mr Dorrell) had some fun at their expense, because they tried to present a set of amendments as pro-referendum when their record on referendums is rather lamentable—perhaps as lamentable as ours when we have been in government.

[Mr Spellar]

rose—

[Mr Jenkin]

I will not give way, because my point was not designed to provoke the Opposition and I want to press on. The Opposition’s inability to answer the question of how the proposals would help to get a referendum meant that they fell into the trap that was set for them by my right hon. Friend the Member for Charnwood.