Skip to main content

Proceeding contribution from Lord Hague of Richmond (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Monday, 24 October 2011. It occurred during Backbench debate on National Referendum on the European Union.


National Referendum on the European Union

I will give way again in a moment. If we voted to leave the European Union, would that mean that, like Norway, we were in the European Free Trade Association and in the European Economic Area but still paying towards the EU budget, or, like Switzerland, not in the European Economic Area? If we voted to renegotiate"““based on trade and co-operation””," as the motion says, does that mean that we would be in the single market, or not; still subject to its rules, or not? Does ““co-operation”” mean that we still work together on a united position on Iran, Syria and other foreign policy positions, or not? When we had renegotiated, would we, given the wide range of possible outcomes, need another referendum on the outcome of the negotiation? I point these things out because there is a reason why a referendum is normally held on a specific proposition with a yes or no answer, and I believe that any future referendum must be held on that basis, not as a multiple choice among vaguely defined propositions.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
534 c57-8 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
EU withdrawal European Union EU internal trade Economic and monetary union EU internal relations Referendums Sovereignty UK membership of EU Government bills
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk