THE spread betting tycoon Stuart Wheeler has accused David Cameron of “deceiving" the public over his pledge to hold a referendum on the European Union treaty, and has offered to bet him – or anyone else – £100,000 that the Tory leader will not deliver.

The millionaire, who recently quit the Tories to back the UK Independence party (UKIP) in this week’s European elections, challenged the Conservative leader to make clear he would still hold a vote if the EU constitution had already become law in the UK by the time he came to power.

Cameron has made an EU referendum the central plank of his European campaign, but he has repeatedly refused to commit to holding such a vote if the Lisbon treaty – which gives sweeping new powers to Brussels, including removing several vetoes – has already been passed by Gordon Brown.

Critics believe Cameron is either banking on the Irish killing off the constitution in their own referendum later this year, or being able to say it is too late to reverse the decision if he takes power next year and it has already become part of British law.

Wheeler, who once gave the Tories a donation of £5m, said: “David Cameron is deceiving the British public over his EU referendum pledge.

“I am prepared to bet Cameron or anyone else £100,000 that if the EU constitution has already become law by the time he comes to power he will not deliver.

“People should be under no illusion about this: voting for the Tories on Thursday will be no guarantee of stopping more powers transferring to Brussels without the British people being given a say.”

Wheeler said he would withdraw his bet if Cameron pledged before the next general election that he would hold a referendum, even if the constitution had become law.

The treaty is viewed by many as a “back door” way of pushing through the original EU constitution which was thrown out by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Wheeler’s challenge comes as a poll yesterday put UKIP in second place ahead of Thursday’s local and European elections, pushing Labour into a humiliating third place.

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