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| David Cameron denies EU referendum plan is panic reaction to Eurosceptics | David Cameron denies EU referendum plan is panic reaction to Eurosceptics |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron has denied that he has been panicked into rushing forward a draft bill for an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership in the hope of calming the Tory party on Europe. | David Cameron has denied that he has been panicked into rushing forward a draft bill for an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership in the hope of calming the Tory party on Europe. |
| The draft bill provides for a referendum by 2017 on the question: "Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union?" | The draft bill provides for a referendum by 2017 on the question: "Do you think that the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union?" |
| As the prime minister confirmed that he would have abstained in the latest Commons vote had he been in London, Cameron said he was demonstrating leadership on Europe, and blamed the Liberal Democrats for blocking a full government bill. | As the prime minister confirmed that he would have abstained in the latest Commons vote had he been in London, Cameron said he was demonstrating leadership on Europe, and blamed the Liberal Democrats for blocking a full government bill. |
| His trip to the US has been overshadowed by Europe after Michael Gove and Philip Hammond said on Sunday they would vote to leave the EU if a vote were held now. This emboldened Eurosceptic MPs, who tabled an amendment to the Queen's speech regretting the absence of a parliamentary bill to authorise an EU referendum. | His trip to the US has been overshadowed by Europe after Michael Gove and Philip Hammond said on Sunday they would vote to leave the EU if a vote were held now. This emboldened Eurosceptic MPs, who tabled an amendment to the Queen's speech regretting the absence of a parliamentary bill to authorise an EU referendum. |
| An attempt by Cameron to reduce support for the bill, by tabling a draft parliamentary bill and saying that the Tory leadership would support a private member's bill, has failed to please many Eurosceptics. | An attempt by Cameron to reduce support for the bill, by tabling a draft parliamentary bill and saying that the Tory leadership would support a private member's bill, has failed to please many Eurosceptics. |
| The prime minister said he remained in control of his party. Asked in Boston by Channel 5 News whether he had panicked, he said: "Not at all. If this was a Conservative-only government, we would just get on and legislate. We can't do that because we are in coalition. | The prime minister said he remained in control of his party. Asked in Boston by Channel 5 News whether he had panicked, he said: "Not at all. If this was a Conservative-only government, we would just get on and legislate. We can't do that because we are in coalition. |
| "But I have always said that anything we can do to strengthen, add credibility to the pledge … we should do." | "But I have always said that anything we can do to strengthen, add credibility to the pledge … we should do." |
| He told the BBC: "I am profoundly relaxed about how Conservative MPs vote on this amendment." | He told the BBC: "I am profoundly relaxed about how Conservative MPs vote on this amendment." |
| Cameron said it was wrong to suggest he had changed tack on Europe to appease his party. He told Sky News: "When all the dust has settled, I think that people will be able to see that there is one party – the Conservative party – offering that in/out referendum, and two other mainstream parties – the Liberal Democrats and Labour – who oppose an in/out referendum … It is in the national interest to change Europe and change the relationship with Europe." | Cameron said it was wrong to suggest he had changed tack on Europe to appease his party. He told Sky News: "When all the dust has settled, I think that people will be able to see that there is one party – the Conservative party – offering that in/out referendum, and two other mainstream parties – the Liberal Democrats and Labour – who oppose an in/out referendum … It is in the national interest to change Europe and change the relationship with Europe." |
| The prime minister admitted that some Tories wanted to have a referendum immediately. But he added: "That's not my view." | The prime minister admitted that some Tories wanted to have a referendum immediately. But he added: "That's not my view." |
| The brief six-clause bill drafted by the Tory party proposes that the referendum must be held by December 2017, but does not mandate the government to leave the European Union if there is majority support for leaving the EU. | |
| It is said to have been drawn up by the solicitor general Oliver Heald, and No 10 insisted that no taxpayer's money had been spent on its drafting – it is only 490 words long, whereas the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill (as introduced) is by contrast 62,683 words. | |
| Downing Street insisted that the draft bill had been in preparation since January, and it was logical to publish at the start of the new parliamentary session. | |
| But it is also possible that this rather cursory bill was put together in the past few days in a bid to head off rebels planning to vote for the amendment regretting the absence of a European referendum bill in the Queen's Speech. | |
| The amendment, signed by up to 80 Tory MPs, is due to be debated on Wednesday. In response, Cameron, seeking to quell accusations of weakness and a surge in support for Ukip, published the draft bill. However, the move has managed to siphon off only a small number of Cameron's Tory Eurosceptic rebels, and the vote on Wednesday regretting the absence of a bill in the Queen's speech will go ahead. | |
| The prominent backbenchers Douglas Carswell, Michael Fabricant and Zac Goldsmith swung behind the prime minister's surprise initiative, saying the task now was to find a Tory MP to back the bill at the private member's bill ballot on Thursday and then to challenge the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, to support it at a second reading. | The prominent backbenchers Douglas Carswell, Michael Fabricant and Zac Goldsmith swung behind the prime minister's surprise initiative, saying the task now was to find a Tory MP to back the bill at the private member's bill ballot on Thursday and then to challenge the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, to support it at a second reading. |
| Carswell said: "The chance to engineer a vote now is ours for the making." | Carswell said: "The chance to engineer a vote now is ours for the making." |
| But the leader of the revolt, John Baron, said he was not going to withdraw his planned amendment regretting the contents of the Queen's speech. | But the leader of the revolt, John Baron, said he was not going to withdraw his planned amendment regretting the contents of the Queen's speech. |
| Influential figures around Miliband are urging him to exploit the chance to embarrass Cameron by backing a referendum, but Tuesday's shadow cabinet meeting was expected to endorse the policy of opposing the amendment. | Influential figures around Miliband are urging him to exploit the chance to embarrass Cameron by backing a referendum, but Tuesday's shadow cabinet meeting was expected to endorse the policy of opposing the amendment. |
| Miliband is determined to be seen to be acting in the national interest on Europe. | Miliband is determined to be seen to be acting in the national interest on Europe. |
| The prime minister's spokesman said ministers would be expected to abstain, since although Conservative policy is to back a draft bill, government policy does not support the measure. He said the amendment was Conservative policy. | The prime minister's spokesman said ministers would be expected to abstain, since although Conservative policy is to back a draft bill, government policy does not support the measure. He said the amendment was Conservative policy. |
| In a sign of the contorted position created by coalition politics, the prime minister's spokesman said the amendment "clearly is in line with Conservative party policy". | In a sign of the contorted position created by coalition politics, the prime minister's spokesman said the amendment "clearly is in line with Conservative party policy". |
| It would be difficult for Tory members of the government to vote against it, he went on, "because at present it is not government policy, because we are in a coalition government. It would put ministers in a difficult position if they were asked to vote against the government's own Queen's speech or to vote against Conservative party policy. Hence the ability to abstain." | It would be difficult for Tory members of the government to vote against it, he went on, "because at present it is not government policy, because we are in a coalition government. It would put ministers in a difficult position if they were asked to vote against the government's own Queen's speech or to vote against Conservative party policy. Hence the ability to abstain." |