Response to constituents on the referendum issue

I am getting numerous emails asking me to vote for the referendum motion on Monday.

Let me reassure you. I have signed the motion, showing my public support for it. I will vote for it, whatever the whipping may be.

10 Comments

  1. BobE
    October 20, 2011

    Thank you John.
    Do you have any idea yet of what the wording of the referendum question might be?

    Repkly: that would be in the Bill that followed the vote, but would need to keep close to the terms of the motion. It looks, however, as if Lib and Lab will combine with Ministers to vote this all down.

    1. Tim
      October 20, 2011

      Thank you Mr Redwood. I cannot understand, other than self interest, why other MP’s don’t act in the same honorable fashion. Don’t they realise how much contempt the general public feel for politicians when they claim to know best?Especially those who have never held a proper job outside of the Westminster “bubble”.
      We so need to be out of the EU to restore democracy!!

  2. Widget
    October 20, 2011

    A rare thing: an honourable MP

    1. Cliff. Wokingham
      October 21, 2011

      We are indeed blessed here in Wokingham having John as our MP.

      Other MPs need to remember that they were put in place by the electorate to represent the views of that electorate, not the views of a presidential/dictatorial party leader.
      Those MPs that are worried about “getting on” in the party if they vote against their leader’s wishes, should well remember that their current leader may not be the leader when the next election comes about, but the electorate will still be the same and hopefully, they will remember the name of the candidate that let them all down over the EUSSR last time they were given the privilege to represent those in that constituency.

      The party system and its abuse by egotistical leaders, is destroying what small amount of democracy we still have in this country and within the EUSSR.

      Well done John; a man of conscience and principle.

  3. Ken Ricketts
    October 20, 2011

    Glad to hear it. I did not vote for you at the last election; nothing personal, but a reaction to David Cameron reneging on his promise of a referendum re. Lisbon. At least he had the decency to break that promise before the election!

    On the matter of referendums in general, I think that there should be some way in which a referendum can be forced on a government, even if it doesn’t want to have one. One of the biggest problems with current politics is that all you get is the chance to vote for a grab-bag of policies once every few years. No advertising standards apply, there is no picking and choosing, and no guarantee that once in power the government will not quietly drop the policies you agreed with while pressing vigorously ahead with those you disliked most. In an age of consumer choice that sort of package deal is frankly pretty rubbish, and I’m sure that it accounts for a great deal of disenchantment with politics and politicians.

  4. Andy Hopkins
    October 20, 2011

    Well done John.

    As Dan Hannan has suggested, MP’s should not be asking the question of what will happen as a result of a referendum, but whether we the public should be consulted when the question of Sovereignty is involved…

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100112358/when-they-come-to-vote-on-the-eu-referendum-mps-should-ask-themselves-just-one-question/

    You and Daniel standout as the voices of reason and principle and more should follow your example.

  5. Paul Danon
    October 20, 2011

    People emailing you is part of the democratic process. Great that you’ll vote for a referendum.

  6. James Sutherland
    October 20, 2011

    Thank you – I am delighted to hear this as well.

    My local MP is SNP not Conservative (by a wafer-thin majority last year) – the proposal of a three line whip against democracy would make me very hesitant to vote Conservative again next time, so it is a relief to see so many taking a public stand against that error. It seems likely that even a three line whip in the opposite direction would fall short of giving us a say, but making a stand either for or against democracy is a powerful message to the electorate in either case.

  7. Phil H
    October 23, 2011

    I am also lucky to have an honourable MP in Zac Goldsmith so even though I have just joined UKIP I will still vote or him.

  8. alan jutson
    October 29, 2011

    Great speech, as well as the right vote from you John.

    Thank you, keep up the pressure, one day it will turn in our favour.

Comments are closed.