EU REFERENDUM "A QUESTION OF TRUST" SAYS STUART

30-07-2007

Birmingham MP Gisela Stuart has been telling The Stirrer why she's breaking ranks with the government and demanding a referendum on the EU constitution.

Stuart made the call in the House of Commons last week, but it wasn't picked up by the media until the weekend, when it was reported in the Sunday Telegraph (link)

She laughs: “If you want to keep something secret, say it in a speech in the House of Commons on a Thursday afternoon.”

The Edgbaston MP was a member of the team which drew up the original, draft Constitution (rejected by several key nations) and believes the recent treaty signed by Tony Blair - in one of his last actions as PM - is effectively the same thing.

“I think the key thing is that this is a question of trust” Stuart told us.

“Gordon Brown has said so many good things about governance since he came to power I can’t understand why he doesn’t do this. It was in the party manifesto we were elected on in 2005.

“But he still has time”.

The Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has also signalled his desire for a referendum.

“I do believe we should be in the EU, but I’m uncomfortable with more centralisation” he said.

Gordon Brown is due to sign the treaty in October, less than a fortnight after MP’s return to the Commons - but a full English translation still isn’t available.

Do we need a vote on the new EU treaty? Leave a comment on our Message Board.