If the European Constitution (the Lisbon Treaty) should have received Royal Assent and been adopted by the other 26 member states BEFORE the election of a Conservative Government, should the Conservative Party hold a retrospective referendum on the text?
Richard Ashworth MEP (SE): I think we should continue to pressure the government to honour its promise to hold a referendum. We should fight the next election on a manifesto pledge to make the European Union more relevant to our aspirations and needs - and, of course, that will mean bringing some powers back to the nation state and holding a referendum on any new transfer of powers to the EU.
Dan Hannan MEP (SE): Yes
Niina Kaariniemi (SE): Yes
Richard Robinson (SE): No. A Conservative Government should immediately open negotiations on our relationship with the EU and the resulting agreement should be put to a referendum.
Therese Coffey (SE): The Conservative Party should not and will not "let it rest there", to quote David Cameron and William Hague. A referendum on David Cameron’s new proposals for Europe may be more appropriate than a retrospective referendum but our focus should be 100% on securing the referendum on the Constitution now. I believe the results on the "I Want a Referendum" ballots in every region will reinforce the pressure on Brown to hold to his manifesto pledge.
Marc Brunel-Walker (SE): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted.
Tony Devenish (SE): May I stress our European Campaign should be a united campaign dedicated to acting as a springboard for the defeat of Gordon Brown.
Sarah Richardson (SE): In reality, the Treaty would then have been enforced and we would have to go to Brussels and fight for powers back. This will be hard, but Mrs Thatcher showed that it can be done. I would support a retrospective referendum to give us a mandate to do this.
Julie Girling (SW): Only if there's a clear exit strategy to follow when we have the results. Meaningless consultation is a Labour Party invention, definitely not for copying
Ashley Fox (SW): Yes
Mike Dolley (SW): There are various hypothetical aspects to this question. Right now we must keep up the pressure on the Government to have a referendum. Clearly if we arrive at the situation described, then the British people will have been deprived of a promised opportunity to pass democratic comment on what is purely a re-branded Constitution. An incoming Conservative Government should not allow matters to rest there.
Don Collier (SW): We must do everything we can to ensure that the Lib Dem and Labour party honour their Manifesto commitment to hold a referendum and punish them at the polls if to their shame they don’t. If adopted without, it will have no democratic legitimacy and we should treat it like that.
Zehra Zaidi (SW): This is a hypothetical question. In the immediate future, we must focus on putting pressure on this Government to hold a referendum – that is why I am so actively involved with the IWAR campaign. Of course, if what is outlined above happens (i.e. the Treaty has passed through Parliament and has been ratified by our European partners and a Conservative Government then comes into power), the situation will be unacceptable as we will be presented with enhanced European integration without the British public having been consulted. We will then have to seriously consider giving the public a say and begin renegotiating British interests.
Charles Tannock MEP (L): David Cameron has already stated that we intend to seek when in government repatriation of our social and employment policies which will already be a challenge. When in government I would support a referendum but it would have to be a referendum along the lines of the LibDem idea of 'in or out' of the EU and all parties would have to accept to be bound by the decision for at least ten years. I think this is more logical than revisiting the Lisbon treaty as we can't be part of the EU unless we accept its new institutional architecture, which would already be in place by then.
Syed Kamall MEP (L): This is a hypothetical scenario. Let's concentrate on getting the referendum we were promised - before ratification. However, personally I would like to see the Conservatives give notice of its intention to hold a referendum on the European Constitution (the Lisbon Treaty) whenever it came to power, effectively inserting a sunset clause on any ratification by the current parliament.
Nirj Deva MEP (L): Yes
Warwick Lightfoot (L): Yes. All transfers of power from Britain to EU institutions should have to be approved by a vote in a national referendum.
Bob Seely (L): Yes
Alison Sproule (L): No, as this would have no legitimacy. Instead, we need to put together a package of measures ranging from social policies to fisheries that the British public would like repatriated and put these to a referendum which can then be used for further negotiations in Europe.
Jean-Paul Floru (L): In my own personal opinion, yes. And if the outcome of the referendum is “no”, then we should revoke our ratification.
Marina Yannakoudakis (L) (added 1/3): We should fight hard to stop the treaty in Parliament, in the House of Lords, and use our influence to get other member states to reject it. This treaty is undemocratic and totally unacceptable, and if it goes through we would have gone too far on road toward integration. So we should continue to fight not losing our focus and put our energy into stopping it now.
Graham Postles (L): There are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes to be resolved before ratification across the EU can occur. Our immediate task has to be to ensure that we do everything we can to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty/European Constitution is not ratified here. In the process we must take every opportunity to remind voters that this is yet one more area in which this discredited Government has broken its promises to the British people. The news today, that of 150,000 people who voted in the IWAR ballots, 88% of them said "Let the People Decide", shows we are right to keep fighting.
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP (E): If possible, yes. I personally believe that we should put the EU on notice now that an incoming Conservative Government will seek the views of the British people in a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon. Furthermore, I have long called for a cost/benefit analysis of our EU membership and a well-informed debate about "What sort of relationship with Europe would be best for Britain in the first half of the 21st century". That's why, on 27 February, I launched an essay competition inviting Sixth Formers in over 300 schools across the East of England to give me their views on this question.
Jonathan Morgan (E): The Lisbon Treaty/Constitution is an appalling piece of legislation, and we should have a referendum on it - the lack of a referendum severely damages its future legitimacy.
John Flack (E): Yes
Clare Whelan (E): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
Claire Strong (E): I believe we should shame the government for breaking its pre-election promise.
Vicky Ford (E): Yes – though I have been campaigning for a referendum now as I don't want to have to wait until the next general election to get it!
Roger Helmer MEP (EM): Yes
George Lee (EM): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
Fiona Bulmer (EM): Yes
Rupert Matthews (EM): I don't see why not. The 1975 Referendum was a retrospective vote.
Emma McClarkin (EM): I believe we should honour our promise on a referendum regardless of ratification.
Eveleigh Moore-Dutton (WM): Yes
Anthea McIntyre (WM): Yes
Dan Dalton (WM): If I was David Cameron, I would do.
Evan Price (W): This is a question that depends on a number of hypothetical assumptions – the results of which would be, in my view, unacceptable and lack legitimacy. It appears that at least some of Labour’s manifesto commitments are matters merely of convenience and are made lightly and without intent by Labour and we should not be frightened of telling the voters that at every turn. Having said that, my efforts are concentrated on getting that referendum.
Emma Greenow (W): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
Karen Robson (W): I believe it is absolutely fundamental that before European integration proceeds any further, it must have democratic legitimacy. This is what we were promised and so far denied. We need to secure a referendum for the British people—sooner rather than later--- and this must be our continued focus.
Kay Swinburne (W): The UK electorate have been promised a referendum and the Conservative Party are supportive of the notion that a referendum is the right and proper action at this time. Should the theoretical situation you describe arise, despite our lobbying at all levels and full ratification by all member states be achieved, then we should as a new government carefully consider the best mechanism for the UK to have its say on our future involvement in the EU.
Sir Robert Atkins MEP (NW): The matter should be considered very seriously and constitutional legal advice sought at the highest level but I suspect that Parliamentary precedent may prevent such a course of action.
Alexander Williams (NW): Yes
Fiona Bruce (NW): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
Peter Wilding (NW): If we do not succeed forcing a referendum in the Commons; if we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
Martin Callanan MEP (NE): I think it is vital that we stick to the 'cast iron' promise David Cameron gave in his article in The Sun. A new Conservative government should hold a referendum. I am well aware of the difficulties that this approach will cause among EU governments but they will just have to live with it.
Emma Moore (NE): If the Liberal Democrat and Labour parties allowed their MPs to vote with their conscience on this issue we still could have a referendum before this happens - although sadly this is extremely unlikely. The question is a difficult one as there would be many things to consider, including: a) how long a time had passed since the adoption of the treaty? (although I as everyone else hope we will be returned at the next election!), b) was there a coherent plan to address the fallout from a supportive or rejecting result? c) what process would we have to follow to extracate ourselves from the treaty after it had been passed - i.e. would it be practible or possible to do so?
Barbara Musgrave (NE): If we fail to win in the Lords; if all other EU member states ratify the Treaty; and if an election is held later in this Parliament after the Lisbon Treaty has come into force we would be faced with the unacceptable situation of further integration having taken place without people being properly consulted. Such a situation would mean that European integration would have gone too far and, of course, the new situation would lack democratic legitimacy. We should not let matters rest there. But right now our focus has to be on doing everything we can to stop this Government ratifying the renamed EU Constitution without holding the referendum the British people were promised.
