The EU Referendum

Now, I have on the whole refused to be overly critical of the government since the coalition was formed. After all, Britain faces a huge economic mire caused by a multitude of factors, but one which was exascerbated by the previous Labour government's shocking overspend in pursuit of wars in the gulf and... *ahem* the Millenium Dome.


But one thing that has been clear for a long, long time is that the people of the UK want, nay, DEMAND a Referendum on the UK's involvement within the European Union. It's stripping of sovereignity has angered many, and Gordon Brown's refusal to bow to public pressure and sign away yet more sovereignity in the Lisbon Treaty of 2007 was for many the final straw. The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) gained hugely in the EU Elections two years later as a result, the second biggest party representing the UK in Europe behind the Conservatives, also seen as "eurosceptic."

Polls are regularly taken across the UK which show that around half of the UK want to leave the EU. The calls for a Referendum on membership of the Union have been thrown aside by successive governments, but this year an official online petition for a referendum reached 100,000 signatures which legally binds Parliament to discuss it.

Now let me make this clear - Both members of the coalition, the Tories AND the pro-europe Liberal Democrats supported a referendum in their manifestos. Labour fully oppose it, but then they would; after all, at the rate they like to waste public money, they would soon have to rely on the IMF Bailout funds which are centred in Europe. That said, even some rebel Labour MP's support a referendum.

So surely, with a majority government formed from the Coalition partners, the Referendum is sure to go ahead?

Uh, no. The party leaders have gone back on themselves and now oppose the motion. They are threatening their party members that do vote in favour of the motion with demotions and sacking from their parties altogether.

So, the bottom line is that all three main parties are refusing to give the people a say on an issue that strikes a chord across the country. As much as I despise Labour, at least they're keeping to party policy - whereas the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are shutting out the millions who voted them into power, and denying them a say on one of the very few manifesto policies they actually agreed on!

Expect UKIP to gain massively again.