Sir, The “Yes” vote in Ireland increases the need for a referendum for the UK itself, for Europe as a whole and for our democracy. The Lisbon treaty is a fundamental constitutional change in the relationship of the UK to the EU and the other member states. The case for a UK referendum is based on this fundamental constitutional principle. David Cameron acknowledges this, as did the Conservative vote for a referendum on the treaty in the Commons and the 50 Conservative MPs who backed my motion for a referendum “in any event”.

The granting of a referendum does not depend on the Irish or any other vote. The political obligation is aggravated by the disgraceful overriding of the original French, Dutch and Irish “No” votes — made worse by the manner in which the “Yes” vote was obtained in Ireland, with massive propaganda from the European Commission and ten times more expenditure by the “Yes” side than the “No” side. The Czechs and the Poles have still not ratified Lisbon but, more to the point, the UK ratification itself, in clear breach of Labour’s manifesto promise, is undemocratic and fatally flawed. It must be overridden by a referendum endorsed by an Act of Parliament and on our own terms.

Bill Cash, MP

House of Commons

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