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European Union (Amendment) Bill

I am glad that the right hon. Gentleman has given way, because I think I can spare the Committee some of this misleading, rambling account of ancient history. We voted the way we did, first, because we made no promise at the general election that the people would get a vote; and, secondly, because we offered a referendum on the guts of the Maastricht treaty—the single European currency, which we did not favour. That was the referendum lock. His party offered the people a referendum, but it is now refusing it, so the ancient history is completely irrelevant.