[Ace123]

It looks like Miliband will promise to hold an in or out referendum (none of this three option nonsense) in his 2015 election campaign which I think is good especially as Cruddas is pro-EU. Will this make you vote for Labour in the next election?

What impact will this have on the conversatives and libdems, will the conservatives also react by promising a referendum, the article sattes 26& of tory voters are considering voting for UKIP, do you think Cameron who has backed off the referendum issue will be thrown out and replaced?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...?newsfeed=true

[Sdiff]

Didn't Labour offer one in 2005 but it later turned out they were just pandering for votes and didn't offer one in the end?

[ukip72]

(Original post by Sdiff)
Didn't Labour offer one in 2005 but it later turned out they were just pandering for votes and didn't offer one in the end?

They offered one on Lisbon and then didn't bother knowing they would lose, mind you Cameron did the same thing, only his was a CAST IRON GUARANTEE.

[Aj12]

I'd be surprised if anyone buys this the Tories and Labour have lied about it before.

[wibletg]

The only way we'll see a referendum is through UKIP.

[ukip72]

(Original post by wibletg)
The only way we'll see a referendum is through UKIP.

Very true

[ApresAlkan]

Why does anyone want out of Europe anyway? We'd be doing so much worse without the Union...

[uAtolgainanc]

Milliband needs to attract more voters to turn the decreased popularity of the Coalition into Labour seats.
He'll be implementing a wide political manifesto and its perfectly logical for him to do this, to what extent will he stick to his "guns" we will see, but i do believe that it would be contradictory of him to do a complete "u-turn" and not fulfill his promise of a referendum.

[Morgsie]

At some point in the future there will be an in or out Referendum.

Under the EU Act 2011 any transfer of powers upwards to the EU requires a Referendum.

[Bulbasaur]

(Original post by wibletg)
The only way we'll see a referendum is through UKIP.

Indeed. I think that neg was pretty unjustified, regardless of your political perspective, the weight of evidence suggests that this is a truer statement than suggesting any of the old parties would do such a thing.

[patrickinator]

Whichever party offers a referendum on Europe will win the next election. whether any of them have the balls to do it, is a different matter...

[uAtolgainanc]

However, a majority of politicians in Westminister will not favour a referendum, i think the EU issue is too complex for "average" people to evaluate and reach a sensible, rational conclusion when voting. people will vote on this issue as a "protest vote" possibly influenced because of there attitude towards the government, and a lot of people ignore the economic benefits that membership of the union brings to the U.K, a referendum could result in a minority who vote sensibily and rationally to be overwhelmed by the majority who will reach ill-thought, irrational conclusions over a very complex matter, the question of membership to the EU shouldnt be over-simplified for us to literally say "yes" or "no",

[seanfromtheblock]

sometimes elitism is a good thing, just look at the abolition of the death penalty or legalisation of homosexuality - both decisions at odds with public opinion at the time but looking back now, very few people disagree with them.

Occasionally the electorate just don't know what's best for them.

[patrickinator]

(Original post by uAtolgainanc)
However, a majority of politicians in Westminister will not favour a referendum, i think the EU issue is too complex for "average" people to evaluate and reach a sensible, rational conclusion when voting. people will vote on this issue as a "protest vote" possibly influenced because of there attitude towards the government, and a lot of people ignore the economic benefits that membership of the union brings to the U.K, a referendum could result in a minority who vote sensibily and rationally to be overwhelmed by the majority who will reach ill-thought, irrational conclusions over a very complex matter, the question of membership to the EU shouldnt be over-simplified for us to literally say "yes" or "no",

and yet none of them have ever tried to explain it to us. As far as the general public can see being in europe is of no use to us and hinders us in the sense they can make ridiculous laws which we must obey, such as vote for criminals, human rights bull.

They must be hiding something

[Super Cicero]

People who support leaving the EU should be very cautious if a referendum is offered, especially by Labour. The chances are that basically... it's a trap!

This article (click here) outlines why a referendum would be pretty much fixed so that the majority of people are bullied into voting into staying in. And if Britain's EU membership was valididated by a referendum then politicians would then feel secure in giving all of our remained sovereignity away to Europe until we're just a province within a federal European state.

[wibletg]

(Original post by Bulbasaur)
Indeed. I think that neg was pretty unjustified, regardless of your political perspective, the weight of evidence suggests that this is a truer statement than suggesting any of the old parties would do such a thing.

Yup. To be fair, it's only rep

We've had a referendum pledged to us by both the Conservatives AND Labour and it's never materialised.

[chefdave]

(Original post by ApresAlkan)
Why does anyone want out of Europe anyway? We'd be doing so much worse without the Union...

I think people have woken up to the fact that the EU isn't a mere trading bloc, it's an anti-democratic organisation with imperialist aspirations.

[Bulbasaur]

(Original post by wibletg)
Yup. To be fair, it's only rep

We've had a referendum pledged to us by both the Conservatives AND Labour and it's never materialised.

Precisely, I doubt it's any different now, because public opinion is against them. Whilst this is probably reversible, like in AV, it's far easier to not do it than put all the effort in.

[uAtolgainanc]

a referendum on the EU would be similiar to the AV referendum,
one side heavily backed by financial and technological expertise. The "stay in the EU" side will be so heavily backed by businesses that benefit from the membership fo the EU that it would be nearly impossible to vote against staying in.
it would mirror the poll stations in Germany in 1932 in which the SA would literally "bully" voters to vote for the Nazi's
ofcourse this wouldnt happen for our EU referendum, but like the "yes to AV" campaign, the "no to EU" will have little to no chance in terms of donations, fund raising, advertising and campaigning techniques etc.

[ApresAlkan]

(Original post by chefdave)
I think people have woken up to the fact that the EU isn't a mere trading bloc, it's an anti-democratic organisation with imperialist aspirations.

Piffle!

What on Earth makes you think that that is so‽