11/05/09 - Conservatives Continue To Put Pressure On Labour To Hold A Referendum On The EU Lisbon Treaty

Cllr Justin Tomlinson & Robert Buckland's EU Lisbon Treaty Campaign
Was Backed By Thousands of Local Residents

The Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague used his speech to the Conservative Party Spring Forum to tell the Government they must restore people’s trust in British politics by holding the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty they promised in their manifesto.

In the speech, William Hague said:

“Our Prime Minister was not elected to his office by anyone.  He ran away from an election and then ran from a referendum, and that brings us of course to this European campaign – a campaign that is about trust.

“For it is the saddest of all truths about this government that faced with disillusionment with politics they have only added to it, faced with mistrust they have only justified it, and beset with cynicism they have opted only to exhibit it. They have not only devalued the currency of the nation, but their breaking of promises has been so brazen, and in the case of the referendum so inexcusable, that they have debased the coinage of politics itself. Their legacy will be to leave office with the word of government less believed than at any time in our lifetimes – another aspect of the scorched earth they will leave behind them, on which only a new government can plant the seeds of trust and belief afresh.

“The story of Labour's commitment to a referendum on the European Constitution, later renamed the Lisbon Treaty, is not that of a single u-turn but of a political figure –of-eight: first it was only a 'tidying-up exercise' and not important enough for a referendum, then it needed so much parliamentary scrutiny that it was too important for a referendum, then Tony Blair declared it had changed the nature of its importance and did indeed require a referendum before, faced with the near-certainty of rejection, Brown decided that the referendum promise was yet another one that he would simply break.

“And so, despite every promise to the contrary, a Prime Minister no-one had voted for signed a treaty the people had never approved. No wonder he did not have the courage to turn up for the signing ceremony until after the photographs had been taken.

“Another double denial of democracy.

“National vetoes are now set to be abolished and a President of Europe established without any chance for the voters to have their say.

“And the message we will take to the doorsteps in the coming weeks is that if you vote Conservative it is not too late to have the referendum you were promised; it is not too late to send Gordon Brown a message on June 4^th so loud he cannot ignore it, and it is not too late to elect a Conservative Government that will fulfil the promise that all parties made at the last general election and to which only the Conservative party has stayed true.

“We say to the voters on June 4^th: you were promised you would be listened to, you were promised you would have your say. The one way you can still have your say is to vote Conservative.

“Be clear that if a Conservative Government takes office while the Lisbon Treaty remains on the table but unratified by any one nation of the EU, the referendum on that treaty will take place within the opening months of the new government. It is a matter of trust; it is a matter of faith in politics; and our commitment rests on the truth that, in a democracy, lasting political institutions cannot be built without the people’s consent.”

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, North Swindon Parliamentary Candidate said, "Thousands and thousands of local residents supported our campaign to demand that Labour held a referendum on the EU Lisbon Treaty.  Despite this both the Labour MP's in Swindon ignored local residents and supported the Labour Government in breaking their promise to the electorate."

Robert Buckland, South Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate added, "We will continue to apply pressure to the Labour Government.  Right across the Country people are angry that Labour broke their promise to hold a referendum.  We deserve the chance to decide whether Labour can continue to relentlessly transfer powers to the EU."