Undeclared Conservative leadership challenge runs into trouble

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/11/undeclared-conservative-leadership-challenge-eu

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An undeclared challenge to the leadership of David Cameron by Adam Afriyie has run into trouble after a sizeable group of Conservative MPs wrote to the former frontbencher asking him to abandon plans to call for a referendum on Britain's EU membership next year.

Afriyie, whose supporters said earlier this year they wanted to use his new high profile to persuade Tory MPs to call for a leadership contest, announced on Sunday that he would table an amendment to a private member's bill calling for an EU referendum next October.

The move was seen as another challenge to the prime minister, who is supporting the private member's bill, currently being piloted through the Commons by the backbencher James Wharton, which endorses Downing Street's call for a referendum by 2017.

Wharton, who warned over the weekend that the Afriyie amendment risks killing his bill, has persuaded more than 140 of the 147 Tory MPs elected in 2010 to sign a letter to the former shadow science minister calling on him to withdraw his letter.

The letter, published by the Spectator's Coffee House blog, says: "Delivering a referendum on our membership of the EU is, as you have said, essential. We believe that the bill before the House provides in its current form the best opportunity to secure this outcome, in part because of its uncomplicated, unambiguous nature. This gives the bill the best chance of progressing through the House.

"So, whilst we recognise the sense of urgency reflected in your amendment, we feel that this will jeopardise the progress of legislation and the prospect of a referendum. Knowing that you value and respect the views of colleagues we hope and request that you withdraw support for the amendment tabled in your name."

Afriyie insists that he has no leadership ambitions, in contrast to his allies who are running an unofficial and undeclared campaign to unseat Cameron. Their tactic has been to try to persuade Tory MPs that it would be worth writing to Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee calling for a leadership contest, because Afriyie would be a credible candidate in the contest.

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