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  • "
    Bertrand_Russell wrote:
    wayneo wrote: Like I said previously, for the Conservatives to have a hope in hells chance of winning the next election, they will have to ditch Cameron, Labour have all but promised an in/out referendum.
    Actually Labour have promised a referendum previously - on the Lisbon treaty, and Brown knowingly broke the promise. . To be fair, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have also promised referendums to get votes and then broke their promise. . The might explain why 2011 was the first time Wycombe got a UKIP councillor - a pattern that has been repeated several times across South Bucks.
    Very good and valid points!"
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Wycombe MP Steve Baker urges David Cameron to call EU referendum

2:30pm Monday 2nd July 2012 in Marlow By James Nadal

Wycombe MP urges Prime Minister to call EU referendum Wycombe MP urges Prime Minister to call EU referendum

WYCOMBE MP Steve Baker has signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for a referendum on the European Union.

Mr Baker, a declared eurosceptic, was among 100 Conservative MPs to ask David Cameron to commit to a public vote about the UK's relationship.

The backbencher was among about 80 Tories who formed the biggest rebellion on Europe against a Conservative Prime Minister last year.

Mr Baker voted for a motion which called for a referendum.

Although it was defeated by 483 to 111 the result was the largest against David Cameron in his premiership.

Now, Conservative MPs are stepping up their campaign for a vote.

Since the letter was sent last week, Mr Cameron has said he is open to the idea of a referendum, though now is not the right time.

Tory heavyweight Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, has appeared on television today, also calling for a referendum.

Mr Baker told the BFP: “I'm really encouraged that the letter we've signed and with the PM's remarks and Liam Fox's that we might be working towards a new relationship with the EU and one which has been legitimised by a popular vote.

“David Cameron has made it clear that referendum and Europe are two words which go together as far as he's concerned.”

Sunday newspapers have even suggested the Prime Minister is hatching a plan to hold an EU referendum on the same day as the 2015 General Election.

Mr Baker believes Britain is better off outside the EU.

He said: “Conservatives all believe in decentralised decisions, localism, free markets and so on.

“What the EU does is centralise decisions, not only that, but it does things badly."

He said the EU lacks democratic legitimacy and has gone beyond the simple principles he supports - free trade and peace.

“People want their laws to be made by the politicians that they've elected in the UK,” he said.

“What I've noticed in recent months is increasing numbers of groups of people who find the issue they really care about is no longer in my power to do anything about.”

He reiterated his call for those wanting a referendum to sign The People’s Pledge.

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