Didn't David Cameron promise Britain a referendum on our future in Europe?

Question

Am I right in believing that the Prime Minister David Cameron promised the British public a referendum to decide if we wanted to remain as a part of the European Union or if Britain should leave and ‘go it alone’ if he was elected Prime Minister, is the referendum still on or has he reneged on his election promise

Answer 1

I'm not a Conservative supporter, but as others have said he didn't actually promise a referendum on our membership of the EU, just on the Lisbon Treaty or any other future EU treaty.



And just to temper the UKIP stuff, I think it's pretty understandable why the Conservatives still favour EU membership, even if they have reservations about too many powers being transferred to Brussels. Leaving the EU would clearly reduce our influence over the rest of Europe. You only need to look at the Eurozone debt crisis and the potential impact on our economy to see why influencing policy at the EU level is in our best interests and that's why governments consistently support it.



It's got relatively little to do with any economic benefits and everything to do with increasing their own power and influence (the only things politicians generally care about).

Answer 2

In short - no.



Time For Heroes' answer is spot on, i.e. Cameron wanted a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty - not on whether the UK should withdraw from the EU altogether. However, the treaty was ratified prior to last year's general election so Cameron's hands were pretty much tied.



Also, Parliament has passed the "European Union Act 2011" which means that if in future the EU asks for any further powers, then the UK government must hold a referendum on whether the powers concerned should be granted to the EU.

Answer 3

I don't believe DC ever offered an "in/out" referendum, though some Lib Dems suggested one.



I do remember DC saying we should have had a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. That referendum would now be a nullity, since the Treaty was ratified and enacted before he became PM. It would be retrospective and the UK honours its international commitments which it has made.



The default Tory position on referenda has generally been that they are opposed to them. They joined the EEC without one in 1973. They opposed Labour's referendum on membership in 1975. They opposed the devolution referenda in the 1970s. They opposed the devolution referenda and the GLA/mayoralty referenda in the 1990s.



They supported the AV referendum in 2010 because they knew the result would be the one they wanted. They now say that any future EU treaty which would result in a change of the relationship, by more power transferring to the EU, should be subject to a referendum, and that any such future treaties should involve a renegotiation of terms for the UK.



With no such treaties on the cards for many years, the promise is not necessary.



Personally, I agree with the former Tory position, that referenda are pointless. We have seen in Ireland what happens when the public give the "wrong" answer. They are asked the question again until they give the "right" answer. Since a future parliament cannot be bound, a referendum has no lasting binding power and so is merely a pointless exercise in populism.



It is far better to put plans in manifestos and let the public vote in an ordinary election. Don't keep asking them what to do.

Answer 4

He did say something about this but he also used words such as 'depending' and 'possibly' like other Prime Ministers do which basically relieves him of breaking any promises. In 1979 Labour was going to double VAT from 8% to 16% but Margaret Thatcher stated, "We won't double VAT". When the Tories got into power they increased the VAT from 8% to 15.5% so they didn't actually double it but misled people believing that there would be no increase at all. Although Mrs. Thatcher didn't break any promises they conned people to vote for the Conservative Party.

It happens all the time even in business when they say up to 50% off. It's a trick just to get you in the store and although there are price reductions on goods there's actually nothing at 50% off. The staff claim that these goods have all been sold so the trading standards can't intervene any way stating they are breaking any rules.

Never trust what a politician says and David Cameron is no different.

Answer 5

Consider this. After Major and Lamonts debacle with Black Wednesday; and, all the rest going on with the EU(the shape of bananas, stealing our fishing waters etc) all 3 main parties did promise us a referendum on whether we should stay in the EU or not. Lisbon treaty hadn't been thought up at that time, that came a few years later after Blair came to power.



What happened to those promises? They were made either thinking at the time the EU had more support in the nation than it did or the politicians hadn't found out just how much power and money they would get when they were bought off by the EU politburo. Now they know they keep making the promise; but, have no intention of keeping it. All they are doing is keeping the sheep under a blanket while they continue to thrive in the rape and destruction of a great nation. I much as I hate to admit it, all politicians are human. They are after all they can get regardless of what they say. Proof of that is in all the lies they are always telling us.



David Cameron in reality, just like all other politicians, couldn't care less whether we are in or out. His greed and thirst for power will keep him heading down the road of being a habitual liar and a shyster and fraud because it serves himself very well. Are you aware that if all the people in this country refused to vote because of our politicians actions they are prepared to make a law that it is a criminal offence to not vote. They were on the verge of this just after Blair became PM. That was because the turn out at elections had dropped so low. They are prepared for this because if people just didn't vote for their lies and promises intended to be broken the whole system would collapse and we would definitely no longer be able to call ourselves a democracy which we aren't anyway. No country can be a democracy when all the politicians are exactly and doing exactly the same no matter the party.



I'm going along with FOXY for a while but one thing for sure. I have decided to stop voting for lies and corruption which means no more lib/lab/con pact. If I did it would be just like voting for the BNP.

Answer 6

He promised us a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, not on our membership of the EU. He wanted to get into power before the treaty was ratified but they squeezed it through before our general election. Then after the election he said that since we'd signed it and it had been ratified that it was then too late to do anything about.



Remember New Labour also promised a referendum on the Lisbon treaty and actually were in power at the time, they're even bigger traitors because they had the opportunity to give us a referendum at the time but didn't.

Answer 7

He 'sort of' said that - yes. BUT..... then he said something else.



He said this 1st off, before he became Britain's actually 'UNELECTED' coalition PM, and before the power went to his little soft head that's gone all pro EU mushy...

Cameron's talk on Youtube - 'why do we need a referendum, and why do we need one now'?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRsC44HPXE

HE LIED of course.



And then he said this only today on the Andrew Marr show....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6ww50QlxgQ



All I can add about the whole thing is that he's a lying double talking bastard son of Maggie Thatcher that should be ashamed of himself. But he, like all the other Lib Lab Con have been offered nice posh jobs in Brussels like all the other traitors, or so it seems.



I have no respect for anyone that votes for the Lib Lab CON any more. You're all stupid, or you haven't woken up to the truth yet. So WAKE UP BRITAIN!!!!!!!

Answer 8

I think so. But Top Gun DC is a slippery one. I do not understand the political jargon politicians use so I can not be certain.

Here, watch and listen for yourself.



edit. After another look at it, it seems that even if Mr. Cameron wanted a referendum, it is too late to have one. The deal has been signed and sealed. Our fate is in the hands of Mr. Van Rumpoy

Answer 9

Ah, but you say a lot in opposition, don't you?



He won't do it. Guaranteed. Because I don't know what the EU has hanging over a member nation withdrawing but clearly you don't find out about it until you're in power. We're in and I greatly doubt that any party with the slightest chance of punting their leader into 10 Downing Street has any intention whatsoever of getting us out.



Lets face it; 'slightest chance' does not include the Lib Dems. Somehow the Tories have managed to make the Lib Dems do almost all the dirty work; old Cleggy is going to be the last Lib Dem to even see the inside of Number 10.

Answer 10

Yes, and so did cleggy - although cleggy is pro-europe anyway.

Answer 11

He has another few years to bring it up...