AN e-petition, with more than 100,000 signatures, triggered one of the most remarkable debates I have experienced in Parliament.
The subject was of course that prickly old one: Europe.
Backed by a colleague’s motion, and pushed through the Backbench Business Committee, we were presented with a chance to vote for a Bill which, in turn, would propose a referendum on our membership of the EU.
The debate was emotive, mainly because the Government had unwisely placed a three-line whip on colleagues to vote against the motion.
Now was not the time to rock the boat in Europe, we were told.
I totally disagreed.
Ending any relationship is never easy, but when one is as rotten and corrupt as this one surely is, you can’t end it soon enough.
The ensuing chaos in Greece and now Italy only confirms my worst fears.
I voted against the Government with a clear conscience.
I made my position clear to you all as your candidate, and I certainly was not going to back down from my word, or your support.
Contrary to what Europhiles might claim, the EU is high on the agenda of many constituents.
The sheer level of corruption, requiring bailouts of billions of euros, has awoken a real anger among the people of this country.
Many of you have not had a say on the EU since 1975.
Then, we were joining a free market; a seductive argument, which won the day.
But no one mentioned political and fiscal union.
Regrettably, the Government won the debate, but I believe the stand of the so-called ‘81’ lit a beacon of hope across the country and a referendum is a step nearer to becoming reality.