Getting closer to a referendum

[AJS-]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20085437

It's only a private members bill, so most likely won't get much time and very unlikely to go any further, but it seems like this is really gathering pace now.

The situation seems really primed for one big scandal or problem to strike and bring it to the top of the political agenda. Europe collapse? Another bail out?

[powerstroke]

AJS- said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20085437

It's only a private members bill, so most likely won't get much time and very unlikely to go any further, but it seems like this is really gathering pace now.

The situation seems really primed for one big scandal or problem to strike and bring it to the top of the political agenda. Europe collapse? Another bail out?

Yes it wont take much and the politicans crave popularity they are now seeing this issue as a vote catcher, in the end it's like turkeys voting for christmas and in the event of a vote to leave I think a post EU UK would be a hard place for a politican to find themselves...

[AJS-]

powerstroke said:

Yes it wont take much and the politicans crave popularity they are now seeing this issue as a vote catcher, in the end it's like turkeys voting for christmas and in the event of a vote to leave I think a post EU UK would be a hard place for a politican to find themselves...

It could go quite well for someone.

If the PM of the day were to lead the Out campaign it would be big boost when he won. If the PM wanted to stay in then it would be hard to stay as PM after losing, and whoever led the Out campaign would take over - Hague probably most likely, Daniel Hannan if he could be found a safe seat? That would actually make me vote Tory again. I'm sure I'm not alone. If it was Labour in power at the time, who knows? It would have to be someone quite outside of their establishment, who it seems are all pretty bought into the EU, but I know they do have sceptics in their ranks.

Whoever it was, they would be negotiating a new trading arrangement for the UK, new treaties and framing our relationship with Europe and the wider world. This would give them a bigger voice in the world, and indeed in Europe itself, and if they got it anywhere near right then it would make them highly influential as other countries looked at what Britain was doing and decided that they too could do better outside the EU.

[The Black Flash]

Classic bit of reporting by the beeb there, "forgetting" to mention the important point about this. Which is that the subject of the bill was decided by an online vote from a shortlist. So it's not what "Mr. Carswell wants", it's what people voted for him to do. Albeit from a self-selecting group of people, but it's a start.

They must know this because he mentioned it in same blog post which they quote. Wouldn't do to start letting people have a say in what gets discussed in the house though, would it.