Gordon Brown should use our Referendum Bill to give people a say

William Hague has called on Labour to keep their promise to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty – and has released a draft Referendum Bill for consultation.

The Bill sets out plans to ask the public, in a referendum, “Should the United Kingdom approve the Lisbon Treaty?” The answer will be a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

If the public vote ‘no’, the European Union Amendment Act 2008 (by which the Lisbon Treaty was approved) will be suspended and repealed.

William, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said, “Gordon Brown promised the British people a referendum on the EU Constitution. The Lisbon Treaty is in effect the EU Constitution under another name, so Brown’s attempt to deny his referendum promise amounts to a calculated act of political dishonesty.”

Ahead of the European elections on 4^th June, the Conservatives are campaigning to make Labour honour their referendum promise – and William stressed:

“Every vote for the Conservatives on Thursday is a vote to increase the pres

sure on Gordon Brown to honour his word and grant the British people their rightful say on this Treaty. The voters deserve the right to decide their own future before it is decided by others.”

Our draft Referendum Bill is similar to the referendum provisions of the European Union Bill drafted by the Government in 2005, following their original promise to give a referendum on the EU Constitution.