SHOULD WE WELCOME A REFERENDUM?
European Movement AGM at UCL on October 8th 2011
Outgoing Chairman, Peter Luff, took members by surprise by saying that the debate on Europe in the UK was so polarised and poisonous that sooner rather than later he felt we needed a referendum to clear the air.
Of course in members’ minds quickly switched to the debacle of the AV referendum in May and the objections to referendums in principle were aired. There is the problem of the question. There is the problem of keeping the debate focussed on the issue. There is the problem that the Eurosceptic vote has had years of favourable publicity in the press already.
Peter’s point was that only with a referendum could the pro-EU side have a hope of
getting fair publicity. He was assuming that the issue would be simply: Sho
uld we
stay in the EU or should we leave? The debate would concentrate minds and he was
sure that the result would be Better stay with the devil you know. From that point
onwards the logic of engaging constructively would be apparent..
Brendan Donnelly probably voiced the views of the majority that advocating a referendum was a dangerous step and muddling on was better. Even if our side won, it could be by a small majority and the Eurosceptics would fight on.
Carrying on as we are actually chimed with Peter’s other main point that all the
Movement could do in the present situation was to make sur
e we stayed in existence.
Though our finances are sound we have not got the wherewithal to start a campaign
or take much of an initiative in the debate. We must hope for more propitious times.
No vote was taken on the referendum issue, but there seemed to be general agreement with John Parry that – while we should not propose a referendum we should not fear one either.
Are we ready to fight a referendum if the Tory back benchers get their way?
[Peter Luff - top left: Petros Fassoulas - current chairman - centre: Brendan Donnelly - EM Treasurer - bottom left]
