Lib Dem EU rebels to quit roles

Published in BBC on Wed 5th Mar 2008

Nick Clegg

Two Liberal Democrat MPS have resigned from their frontbench roles so they can defy party orders and vote in favour of a referendum on the EU treaty.

Leader Nick Clegg has ordered his 63 MPs to abstain in the vote on calls for a referendum on the EU Lisbon Treaty.

Tim Farron

But Scotland and Northern Ireland spokesman Alistair Carmichael and countryside spokesman Tim Farron have both quit to vote in favour.

MPs Richard Younger-Ross and Sandra Gidley say they will also rebel.

And there is speculation that there will be further resignations among the Lib Dem frontbench team as a result of the vote at 1900 GMT.

Health spokeswoman Mrs Gidley told the BBC: "Rightly or wrongly, my constituents will perceive that I have broken a promise I made at the last election if I do anything other than vote in support of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty."

Mr Younger-Ross, a culture spokesman, said he opposed the treaty as he had the EU Constitution.

"My concern is and always has been the lack of democratic accountability and centralising nature of the EU," he said in a statement.

"I will therefore support the reform treaty referendum amendment as the only way to get these issues debated."

The Lib Dem leader wants a wider referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union.

He has told his MPs to abstain from Wednesday night's vote on whether to hold a referendum on the EU Treaty.

A series of resignations would be a blow to Mr Clegg's authority, coming less than three months after he became leader.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7279805.stm

Published: 2008/03/05 16:48:59 GMT

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