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DORSET An EU referendum will take place today, but only in the tiny parish of East Stoke.
The village, population 339, will have its say thanks to a little used clause in the Local Government Act 1972 which permits a parish poll on any subject if at least ten people are in favour. Residents of East Stoke in the Isle of Purbeck put the matter to a show of hands at a parish meeting last month.
The mini-referendum was arranged by the UK Independence Party, which is campaigning for similar local votes elsewhere. Today’s vote is not on the reform treaty itself, but on whether there should be a national referendum.
Darren Patterson, a local activist, said: “We are hoping for a good turnout and hope about 100 people will vote.” However, Barry Quinn, a Conservative Purbeck district councillor, said that it was a waste of money that would be better spent on refurbishing the war memorial.
After East Stoke, the 865 residents of Lanteglos, near Fowey, in Cornwall will stage a parish poll on the same subject.
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A full referendum on whether or not Britains actually want to be citizens of the stealth Superstate is necessary.
There should be no doubt at all about the right of UK citizens to self-determination.
Right to vote in the British Referendum should be extended to all British living overseas as well!
Campaign strongly for your right to a REFEREDUM.
(It's the only way to avoid a very bloody civil war....)
Kate the Discerning Voter, Salford, England the Brave!
1945-2007 peace in Europe (EU) enough said!
clynton garnham, woodbridge, suffolk
A loophole, really an error, in local government law allows a very small number of citizens of a parish to force a district council to hold a referendum. Clearly, our right to protest against government policy is important and the initiative shown by the activists in this case is praiseworthy.
However, the democratic instrument ("parish poll") regulated in the Act of 1972 is defective and the regulations should be revised, preferably as part of a reform which entrenches our democratic rights of citizen-initiated referendum at all levels of governance.
For instance, only a substantial number of electors, not a handful, should be needed in order to trigger a referendum. A sliding scale, currently used in The Netherlands, offers a guide to proportion of "signatures" needed, depending on size of the political unit (village, town, city etc.).
More detail about "citizens' democracy" is at
I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
http://www.iniref.org/
Rgds
Dr. Michael Macpherson
Michael Macpherson, Guildford, Surrey
The parish vote in Milton Keynes will be organised by a Conservative councillor.
The referenda are NON-political and it is misleading to assume that any one political party is responsible.
Don Hoyle, Milton Keynes, England
Politicians are a bunch of back-slapping, pension troughing egotists who never make good on their election promises. They get away with it all the time...why? Because we Brits are now too spineless to do anything about it. Even voting one set of these leaches out of power is no good, because the next set are identical. When will a politician break from the party line, risk his pension and velvet lined lifestyle and stand up for the British people? Give us a vote on the EU as promised and stop playing with words.
B. Costello, Glasgow, UK
Good for UKIP ! Lets have one organised in every Parish in the country, the results collated and the facts given to Gordon Brown.
Steve, London, UK
I have long asked the Brits to stop all funny talking about referendums on a variety of subjects concerning the EU.
They should really come around and have THE referendum : should the UK leave the EU?
I am convinced you will have a near 100 % outcome and probably around 60 % of those will vote YES.
That would give the Brits their peace if mind and the Europeans the unburdening of a partner that should have never joined the club and has rejected everything the Europeans want to achieve.
Worse , after rejecting everything they accuse the Europeans of creating a bureaucritic and undemocratic monster in Brussels. Maybe, to join the US as 51rst state is not so bad an idea after all.
You surely have my vote for a referendum.
Heinz H. Koenig, Bremen, Germany
Nice initiative.....People should have their say about the EU and assume any outcoming.:)
pascal-pierre, Dinan/ France, European Union
Yes a vote on the EU
warren knight, st.albans, England