Wednesday, July 25, 2007

ReferendumList.org launched

So we can agree that the forthcoming EU treaty is going to be a big serious thing for the future of our countries. And we can also agree that elected politicians hold the power they wield, at least theoretically in trust. So what can a concerned citizen do about the thought that the European political elites have decided both singularly and pluraly to disenfranchise their populations by driving ahead with the Constitution, despite its explicit rejection in referenda?

Well this is something.

In a novel experience for this blog it is going to a joint venture with the proprietor of the Devil's Kitchen. Today we have written to every MP the following letter,
"Dear Member of Parliament,

In mid-October, the EU aims to have finished writing the Reform Treaty which will signed by Gordon Brown at the EU Summit in December. Mr Brown has repeatedly refused to honour the Labour Government's manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the proposed Constitution, which nearly all informed Continental observers agree, the Reform Treaty is in substance.

According top a recent ICM Poll (21 June 2007), overall 86% of voters want a referendum.83% of Labour voters want a vote to be held on the text, as do 88% of Lib-Dem and Tory voters.88% of trade union members want a referendum.

We are running a research program into elected MPs' and selected PPCs' attitudes towards a referendum, and the results will be displayed on a searchable website: ReferendumList.org

Our questions to you are as follows:

1. Do you support the people's call for a Referendum on the EU Treaty?
2. Will you actively call for and support a referendum in the House of Commons?

If an MP does not reply, it will be assumed that they are not in favour of a referendum and that they are in favour of Parliamentary ratification only.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Mounsey
Gawain Towler
ReferendumList.org

So if you want to know what they are up to, whether they follow their respective party lines and so on then come along to ReferendumList and find out.

In the following weeks we will also be writing to all declared candidates so that, in the event of an early election the constituents will be apprised of the views of the candidates grubbing for their votes.

So please take on of the buttons to put on your websites, let people know and use this resource as well as you wish.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry to be a pedant, but it should be "apprised", not "appraised".

Gawain Towler said...

Thank you kind pendant

Anonymous said...

Keep up the ace work.

(But... on the press release it should say "canvass" not "canvas", and the Dutch and French referendums were 2005, not 2004.)

Anonymous said...

EU Constitution? What do we need a reforendum for when we have our own Constitution?

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