EU Referendum

FRIDAYS in Westminster are given over to Private Members Bills.

These 'PMBs' are sponsored by individual MPs but due to the lack of time allocated to them seldom become law. So Fridays in Parliament are usually poorly attended with most MPs going to their constituencies.

Last Friday was an exception — on the Conservative benches at least — as we continue to promote James Wharton MP's Private Member's Bill to secure a referendum on our membership of the EU.

Virtually every Conservative MP was present with barely a dozen of the other parties' MPs turning up. What was pleasing was that, due to determined time management and two previous Friday sittings, last week Conservatives managed to get the Bill through its various stages in the Commons.

Next is the House of Lords where the legislation will go through the same stages as in the Commons before being returned to our house for further debate.

The likelihood is that Labour and the Lib Dems will kill the Bill in the Lords. The importance of a referendum on our membership of the EU is vital.

We have been drawn ever further into a federalist political super-state that many of my constituents feel is far removed from the concerns of local people.

So why though if this issue is so important are we relying on the precarious route of a PMB to try to deliver a referendum?

The answer is that the Conservatives do not have a majority — we govern in coalition — and neither Labour or our Lib Dem partners are willing to give the people their say. Even if the Bill does fail in the Lords, I am proud that my party will have done all that it possibly can, within this parliament, to deliver a referendum.

More from Mel at melstridemp.com