DUP's Challenge To Cameron On EU Fails

The Prime Minister, David Cameron yesterday faced down a further challenge over the UK's EU membership.

As the backbench revolt loomed at Westminster, the DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds hit out at the Prime Minister on his refusal to support a bid for a referendum on UK membership of the European Union.

Mr Dodds made the comments during the debate on a European statement by Mr Cameron.

It came before a motion in Parliament calling for a referendum on UK membership of the EU - that has come about after an online petition received over 100,000 signatures, triggering the Parliamentary debate - which took place yesterday.

Nine MPs from Northern Ireland backed the Commons motion which called for a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union and, despite a significant number of Conservative rebels, the move failed.

The motion was opposed by the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour. But many Tories were among the 111 MPs who voted for the motion with 483 against.

Before a five-hour debate, Mr Cameron told MPs it was the wrong time for a referendum and urged them not to rebel and two ministerial aides, who joined the rebellion, look set to lose their jobs.

The DUP's eight MPs all voted in a favour of a referendum as did the North Down MP, Lady Hermon.

The SDLP's three MPs all voted against the motion. Party leader Margaret Ritchie said: "We believe that the motion was ill-timed and now is not the time to destabilise the European institution."

Nigel Doods, speaking from Westminster, said: "As we have witnessed the new Transitional Council in Libya declare the revolution there at an end the positive role played by our Government in moving that country towards democracy.

"However, whilst the Prime Minister has been positive in assisting democracy abroad the same cannot be said in relation to the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union," he said.

"Not only has David Cameron set his face against the will of many backbench Conservative MPs forcing some to break his Party's Whip, but he has also set his face against the will of a clear majority of the British public by refusing to accept the need for a referendum on Europe," he said.

The Prime Minister yesterday issued the strongest warning available to him, in the form of a three-line whip, for his party to vote against the motion that was introduced under a new scheme that allows the public to vote for motions to be discussed in Parliament.

All Conservative, Lib Dem and Labour MPs were instructed to vote later against the motion calling for a public referendum on the UK's inclusion in the financially troubled EU.

Bad Timing

Taking an opposite view to that of the DUP, the East Belfast Alliance MP Naomi Long said that the motion debated in Westminster on whether to have a referendum on membership of the EU was sending out a very damaging message about the UK.

Naomi Long MP said: "I believe that the holding of an in/out referendum on EU membership at this time would be a very retrograde step and would oppose any such move.

"The timing of this debate is extremely poor and quite cynical," she said as the Eurozone is facing many serious challenges economically.

"Whether the UK remains in the EU or leaves it will not alter the fact that these challenges impact on us directly, as the EU is our most significant export and import market."

See: Tories To Defy Cameron's Euro Vote Whip

(BMcC)