This in from Andrew Turner’s office in their own words. Ed
Andrew Turner was among 26 MPs who voted in favour of a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union.
The proposed amendment to the EU Bill, currently going through the House of Commons, was opposed by 295 MPs and was therefore defeated.
British people should have a say
However the Island’s MP says that although he recognised there were valid technical concerns about how this amendment would trigger a referendum, he wanted to make a stand and register his support for the British people having a say on our relationship with the EU.
During the debate Mr Turner told the House of Commons he had met Islanders who had turned to the Liberal Party because they felt so disillusioned with a Conservative government who took Britain into Europe and who even now, vote Liberal Democrat.
UK has to enforce EU diktats
Mr Turner said, “The British people have not had a chance to give their opinion on our relationship with what is now the EU since 1975. There was a referendum then on whether Britain should continue its membership of the Common Market. I voted ‘No’, but even those who voted ‘Yes’ did not know, and were certainly not told, the eventual effects of staying in. For instance we are now in the position that we cannot prevent unlimited immigration from 26 other countries; and we have to enforce ridiculous diktats and quota systems leading to half the fish caught in the North Sea being dumped back into the ocean, dead, simply because they are not the right species.”
He went on to say, “I do not pretend that the Conservative Party has got everything right on Europe in the past. That is all the more reason why we should now let the public decide how they should be governed. The Liberal Democrats have insisted that in May we must hold a referendum on what voting system we use; but people believe that all the mainstream parties promised them a referendum on the EU – I believe we should give them that. Even though I was elected as a Conservative MP, when I believe the Party is headed in the wrong direction I have a duty to vote according to my conscience.
Image: Frankie Roberto under CC BY 2.0
