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EU referendum bill killed off in House of Lords Cameron says Tories will bring back failed EU bill
(35 minutes later)
A bill to enshrine an EU referendum in law has been killed off in the House of Lords. David Cameron has pledged to get behind a fresh attempt to get an EU referendum bill into law after legislation was killed off by peers.
Peers have voted to end the committee stage of the legislation, meaning it has run out of time to get through. The House of Lords voted not to spend more time debating Tory MP James Wharton's private member's bill.
The Tory MP behind the bill, James Wharton, blamed Labour and Lib Dem parliamentarians for killing it off for party political reasons. Its passage through Parliament had been delayed by Lib Dem and Labour blocking tactics.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said his pledge for a referendum in 2017 would stand even if the bill fails. The prime minister says he is committed to holding an in-out referendum in 2017 whether a bill is passed or not.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande, Mr Cameron said "whether the bill succeeds or fails" it made "no difference to the pledge I am making on this in-out referendum". But he said he was prepared to use the Parliament Act - a little-used piece of legislation that asserts the primacy of the Commons - to force it on to the statute books.
Following news that the bill had failed, Mr Cameron tweeted: "As Labour and the Lib Dems have killed the Wharton Bill, the one way to guarantee a referendum is to vote Conservative at the Gen Election." 'Disappointing'
Mr Wharton's private members bill was seen by Tory backbenchers as a way of strengthening the prime minister's commitment to an in-out vote. The prime minister blamed Labour and the Liberal Democrats for the failure of the EU (Referendum) Bill.
BBC Parliamentary Correspondent Mark D'Arcy said he would not be surprised if the Conservatives made a fresh attempt to get the legislation onto the statute books later this year. "Today the Labour Party in the House of Lords voted to block our bill that would have ensured a referendum on Britain's EU membership by the end of 2017," Mr Cameron said.
Peers voted by 180 to 130, a majority of 50, to end the debate of the EU (Referendum) Bill at committee stage in the Lords. "This is disappointing news for all of us, but we are not going to give up in our efforts to turn our referendum commitment into law. Far from it.
The debate could resume next week but, with only one sitting Friday left in the Commons before the end of the current parliamentary session in May, it is now impossible for the Bill to become law. "After all, we succeeded in passing it through the House of Commons - a huge achievement.
Speaking outside the chamber, the Tory chief whip in the Lords, Baroness Anelay of St Johns, blamed Labour. "We are going to try to reintroduce the same bill in the next session of Parliament and, if necessary, rely on the provisions in the Parliament Act to stop Labour and Liberal Democrat peers killing the bill once again."
And Mr Wharton tweeted: "Lab + Lib Dem Lords have killed my Bill, the bidding of their political masters. Only the Conservatives will #letbritaindecide." Peers voted by 180 to 130 to end the debate of the EU (Referendum) Bill at committee stage in the Lords.
Mr Wharton's private member's bill was seen by Tory backbenchers as a way of strengthening the prime minister's commitment to an in-out vote.
'No alternative'
Speaking outside the chamber, Mr Wharton said: "Labour and the Lib Dems have conspired in the House of Lords to kill this important piece of legislation, doing the bidding of their political masters in the Commons.
"It's now clearer than it has ever been that it's only the Conservatives who will give people a choice on this important issue. I think many people will be disappointed by what has happened today."
Lib Dem sources accused the Tories of killing their own bill by failing to allow more time for debate, adding that Lib Dem peers were "more than happy to continue examining it and debating it next week".
Lib Dem peer Lord William Wallace of Saltaire said: "Those pushing for a referendum have no sense of the implication it would have on Britain. They offer no alternative to Britain remaining in the EU.
"Those who want to stay in the EU are hoping for a renegotiation of our membership.
"The coalition government has already legislated for a referendum if there is a transfer of powers from the UK to the EU."