Britain is ‘lighting a fire’ under the European Union, says Philip Hammond

Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 8:00PM BST 17 Oct 2014 | Matthew Holehouse

[Olog-hai]

Britain is “lighting a fire under the European Union” by holding an in-out referendum on membership, Philip Hammond said today, as the Bill to give the public a vote cleared its first crucial hurdle in the House of Commons.

The Foreign Secretary said setting in law a referendum on EU membership would force Brussels to grant Britain “meaty and substantial” reforms.

The Private Members Bill, sponsored by Bob Neill, a former minister and vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, yesterday sailed through its second reading of the Commons by 293 to 0, and will now face further scrutiny. […]

David Cameron has threatened to use the Parliament Act to get the Bill onto the statute books—a crucial weapon in the Tories’ armory against the UK Independence Party at the General Election. …

[Olog-hai]

So Cameron will do this now to keep the dreaded UKIP at bay, after stabbing the public in the back by lying about doing a referendum prior to his attaining office. I think he just might be done.

[Celtic Conservative]

That’s kind of ironic. what the UK is doing to the EU is exactly what Scotland did to the UK: threatening to leave in an attempt to gain concessions.

CC

[Olog-hai]

No. The EU took a lot of freedom from the member states (save one); getting it back is not a “concession”. Scotland’s move for “independence” was spurred by socialism and handouts.

[Celtic Conservative]

OK, it just seemed from a superficial level that it was similar.

CC

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

EU membership would force Brussels to grant Britain “meaty and substantial” reforms

There is no way to get halfway out of trouble.

[mac_truck]

Douglas Carswell, the newly-elected Ukip MP, said he strongly supported the referendum, but quit the Tory Party because of Mr Cameron’s record on Europe.

“I came to realise that the promises on Europe have all the credibility of a Greek Government bond, and like a Greek Government bond they can be redeemed only on the say so of a German Chancellor."

[SunkenCiv]

> Britain is “lighting a fire under the European Union” by holding an in-out referendum on membership... The Private Members Bill, sponsored by Bob Neill, a former minister and vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, yesterday sailed through its second reading of the Commons by 293 to 0, and will now face further scrutiny.