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| Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb to 'rebel' over Europe vote | Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb to 'rebel' over Europe vote |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A Welsh Conservative MP says he will vote for an amendment criticising the Queen's Speech for not including a bill paving the way to an EU referendum. | |
| Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb will support a backbench amendment in the Commons, although he argues that he is not an EU rebel, but in the Tory mainstream. | Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb will support a backbench amendment in the Commons, although he argues that he is not an EU rebel, but in the Tory mainstream. |
| Cardiff North MP Jonathan Evans will probably vote against the amendment. | |
| David Davies is undecided, while Glyn Davies and Wales Office ministers David Jones and Stephen Crabb will abstain. | David Davies is undecided, while Glyn Davies and Wales Office ministers David Jones and Stephen Crabb will abstain. |
| BBC Wales is waiting for replies from the two other Conservative MPs in Wales on their voting intentions. | BBC Wales is waiting for replies from the two other Conservative MPs in Wales on their voting intentions. |
| Downing Street is saying that Conservative ministers will be "guided" to abstain if there is a vote in the Commons this week. | Downing Street is saying that Conservative ministers will be "guided" to abstain if there is a vote in the Commons this week. |
| Significant concessions | Significant concessions |
| However, speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales, Mr Bebb said he would argue that his position was "the mainstream of the Conservative Party." | However, speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales, Mr Bebb said he would argue that his position was "the mainstream of the Conservative Party." |
| While there is no history of Conservative MPs voting against the Queen's Speech, the Aberconwy MP said he believed Europe was an important issue. | While there is no history of Conservative MPs voting against the Queen's Speech, the Aberconwy MP said he believed Europe was an important issue. |
| "Personally, if the prime minister did manage to get some significant concessions, then I would be voting to remain within the European Union," he said | "Personally, if the prime minister did manage to get some significant concessions, then I would be voting to remain within the European Union," he said |
| "But I do feel that we need to lance the boil. | "But I do feel that we need to lance the boil. |
| "This issue has been a plague on our politics for the best part of 20 years, I would argue, and it's about time we did commit ourselves to a referendum so that the people of Wales and the United Kingdom can actually decide whether they want to stay in a reformed European Union or whether they want to turn their backs on the institution." | "This issue has been a plague on our politics for the best part of 20 years, I would argue, and it's about time we did commit ourselves to a referendum so that the people of Wales and the United Kingdom can actually decide whether they want to stay in a reformed European Union or whether they want to turn their backs on the institution." |
| 'Genuine debate' | 'Genuine debate' |
| Mr Bebb added: "My own view is that a reformed European Union is something worth working towards, worth aspiring to but we need to give the people of this country a vote on the issue." | Mr Bebb added: "My own view is that a reformed European Union is something worth working towards, worth aspiring to but we need to give the people of this country a vote on the issue." |
| However, his Eurosceptic parliamentary colleague Glyn Davies, the MP for Montgomeryshire, said he would support the government in any vote on the EU. | However, his Eurosceptic parliamentary colleague Glyn Davies, the MP for Montgomeryshire, said he would support the government in any vote on the EU. |
| Speaking to Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio Wales, Mr Davies said "a genuine debate about a hugely important constitutional issue for our country" was needed. | Speaking to Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio Wales, Mr Davies said "a genuine debate about a hugely important constitutional issue for our country" was needed. |
| "There'll be some very important debates about this issue. I don't see anything wrong with that," Mr Davies said. | "There'll be some very important debates about this issue. I don't see anything wrong with that," Mr Davies said. |
| "What we don't want to do is have a disrespect for each other's opinions and I think that's what happened really when the Maastricht treaty was being debated in Westminster, when there was incredibly close majorities and that was a damaging time for the party. | "What we don't want to do is have a disrespect for each other's opinions and I think that's what happened really when the Maastricht treaty was being debated in Westminster, when there was incredibly close majorities and that was a damaging time for the party. |
| "But I just feel there may well be a debate if the Speaker calls this amendment; there may be a debate on this, I think, on Tuesday. | "But I just feel there may well be a debate if the Speaker calls this amendment; there may be a debate on this, I think, on Tuesday. |
| "I'd expect the debate to be very civil... maybe the media would like there to be internecine warfare within the party. I don't think you're going to find that." | "I'd expect the debate to be very civil... maybe the media would like there to be internecine warfare within the party. I don't think you're going to find that." |