The European Union (Referendum) Bill cleared the Commons last Friday (November 29) after am unopposed Third Reading, leaving it clear to be reviewed in the House of Lords early next year.
James Wharton, the Conservative MP who proposed the private member’s bill, which promises a referendum on whether or not to stay in the EU, said he was glad to see it “making good progress”, even though there had been, in his words, “slowing tactics” by Labour and the Liberal Democrats to stop it going through.
Because both parties oppose the call for a public vote, the proposal is being pushed through via an unorthodox legislative challenge, which imposes strict time limits on debates and reduces its chances of becoming law.
However, the Bill has been strongly supported by Prime Minister David Cameron, who says that the UK needs to negotiate a better deal within the EU, but both Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg of the Lib Dems have warned that it could bring uncertainty and damage to business.
Mr Cameron is backing the draft legislation as a way to help bridge damaging divides over Europe in his Conservative party and also to counter the threat of euro-sceptic voters defecting to the anti-EU UK Independence Party at the next general election in 2015.
Mr Wharton acknowledged that the Bill would have a tougher time making its way through the Lords but warned Peers hoping to block it that they should think twice about what they were doing.
He added that for an unelected House to deny the British people a say on a Bill which has been passed by the elected House of Commons would put them in a very difficult position.