IWR in the news

05/03/08

Lib Dem leadership braced for 'significant' rebellion

Guardian

The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats today admitted a "significant number" of the party's MPs are expected to defy the leadership by voting for a referendum on the EU treaty.

Earlier today the I Want a Referendum campaign issued a list of Lib Dem MPs likely to join rebel David Heath and vote against the party line.

Vincent Cable, Lib Dem deputy leader and the party's economics spokesman, confirmed that the party was resigned to the fact that a number of its 63 MPs would refuse to toe the party line.

Cable told guardian.co.uk: "There will be a significant number who will feel they are obliged to support the treaty referendum and will do so.

But he insisted the rebellion would not prove to be a damaging blow for Nick Clegg, who has instructed his MPs to abstain or vote against any amendment - either from the Conservatives or Labour rebel Ian Davidson - calling for a referendum on the EU treaty.

"We are a broad church and do not see as a problem," said Clegg. "It is a situation the leader has inherited."

The Liberal Democrat party made a manifesto commitment to ratify the EU constitution at the last general election.

However, Clegg insists the new treaty is not the same document, and wants instead a referendum on the wider issue of Britain's EU membership.

Among the list of other Lib Dem MPs uncomfortable with their leader's stance on the issue are frontbencher Sandra Gidley, the party's health spokeswoman, who is quoted by the campaign group as saying: "Unless something unforeseen happens, I intend to support the call for a referendum."

Others include Lembit Öpik, the housing spokesman, who is quoted in a letter to a constituent as saying: "The treaty is so much like a constitution that it warrants a referendum on its own."

Tim Farron, the party's spokesman on the countryside, also wrote to a constituent, saying: "The government should be held to account for its failure to uphold the manifesto pledge and I will vote for a referendum."

Nick Harvey, the Lib Dem defence spokesman, is also quoted in a letter to a constituent as saying that he "personally" supports a referendum. However, the MP has insisted he plans to vote with the party.

Martin Horwood, a spokesman on the environment, and Alistair Carmichael, who covers Scotland and Northern Ireland, are also listed.

Carmichael may have had a change of heart after an 11th-hour meeting with Clegg last night.

Lib Dem MPs opposed to the party line will also have the option of voting for the Labour amendment tabled by backbench rebel Ian Davidson, the MP for Glasgow South West, which would allow a second question on membership of the EU, as well as a vote on the treaty.

But a defiant Clegg branded the Labour amendment as an "utter red herring".

He said that the parliamentary party had discussed the issue "endlessly", and abstaining was the right thing to do.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that his preference was to hold a fundamental referendum on Europe, but that prospect had been squashed.

"Under these circumstances, it's logical for us to say yes to a referendum, no to the very restrictive and in my view almost largely irrelevant question about the Lisbon treaty that the Conservatives want, and that therefore we will abstain."

He added: "Not a single Lib Dem MP committed at the last election to have a referendum on the Lisbon treaty for the very simple reason that it didn't exist.

"We committed to have a referendum on a completely different text."