Referendum on the EU Lisbon (Reform) Treaty

In 2004, Tony Blair, the then Labour Party leader and British Prime Minister, promised the country a referendum on the EU Constitution.

He did this because the EU Constitution altered Britain’s relationship with the European Union and handed over a massive amount of power to Brussels. In 2005, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats fought a General Election with the referendum pledge contained in their manifestoes.

Also in 2005, the EU Constitution was rejected by French and Dutch voters, ensuring the proposed constitution was scrapped.

Now, in place of the failed EU Constitution, EU leaders, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have signed a Reform Treaty, which is almost identical to the EU Constitution. It also involves a huge amount of powers being transferred to Brussels. However, both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have gone back on their referendum pledges of 2005 and are refusing to give the people a vote on this important issue.

We, the Liberal Party, believe that this is a disgrace and a betrayal of the British people. Therefore we are calling on Meseyside's MPs to follow the lead of Frank Field MP and Bob Wareing MP and support a referendum.