[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

Before the Conservatives were in power they promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. By the time they got into power, the Treaty had already been ratified and a referendum would have been a waste of time and money. There was an explosion of complaints that the Conservatives had gone back on their word to give us a referendum over Europe. Now that they're talking again about a proper referendum - not a pointless one on an already ratified treaty - they're wrong again.

In the early seventies the majority of the people in this country decided that we should join the Common Market. If, forty years later and they are given the opportunity to say whether we remain in Europe or leave, I'm confident in the decision the public will make.

I agree with you overall,although I still feel the promise of any in/out referendum would be a very dangerous gamble by any PM and Govt.

Looking back and reading back to the mid 70s when the referendum was held then, the media was less hostile as to Europe and also it was largely about trading agreements too.
The EU now is as you know, far more than that sort of trading consortium from the mid 70s. A great number of the UK citizens still fear and oppose massively even the remote possibility that the UK could one day join the Euro.
I feel, that fear could lead to a no vote and so I hope David Cameron rules out any in/out referendum.

Personally,I would vote to remain in the EU, however I am surrounded by a great many others who would on what they know of the EU vote no to staying in.
I also see no point whatsoever as to holding a referendum as to re-negotiations,the public would support that massively.

You are also spot on that the Conservatives didn't really break any promise of a referendum before, as to the Lisbon treaty particularly, it was ratified before they came to office so any referendum would have been equally pointless and a waste fo funds as to that.

Dangerous move and gamble though now to even hint at holding an in/out referendum after the next election, the result could be catastrophic for the UK's economy and secure future.
Not to mention our likely standing in the World.

Personally, I think if an in/out referendum was held in the near future,there could be actually a majority of feeling in support of staying in the EU but I do feel the anti EU brigade and those who would vote to come out of the EU would be the more certain to make the effort to go out and vote in such a referendum while a good number who likely support staying in would not bother to go out and vote.
Such a referendum made binding on a Govt could be likely disastrous for generations to come.
I would be very worried myself about a promise of an in/out referendum.Hopefully the PM will discard that thought at this time.