Brussels, 27/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The text providing for the organisation of a referendum on the UK leaving the EU by 2017 - a referendum promised by the UK's Prime Minister David Cameron if he is re-elected in 2015 - might never see the light of day after the decision by the House of Lords on Friday 25 January to return the text to the House of Commons in the British Parliament, AFP reports. Having overcome the first hurdle in the House of Lords on 10 January, the text suffered a setback on Friday when a majority of 87 in the House of Lords called for the question to be asked in the referendum (“Do you think the UK should remain a member of the EU?”) to be amended.
The bill must now be returned to the House of Commons, which slows the procedure down - potentially fatally - for the text because it must become law before the end of the parliamentary session in April. If this does not happen, the government can reintroduce the text over the course of the next session if it wishes, but this procedure is said to be very rare.
In all, over 70 amendments were tabled in order to block the process and prevent the text from ultimately gaining legal force. The Conservative Party has accused its Liberal Democrat partner in the coalition government, and the Labour Party opposition - both of which are opposed to the referendum - of wanting “to kill” Cameron's bill. (SP/transl.fl)