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Unite presses Ed Miliband for EU referendum pledge | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Labour's biggest union backer Unite is urging the party to match the Conservatives' pledge to offer an in-out referendum on Europe. | |
General secretary Len McCluskey said Labour will be a "hostage to fortune" if it does not support a vote. | |
Labour leader Ed Miliband has all but ruled out a poll unless further powers are transferred to Brussels. | |
But Unite fears this stance will be a "millstone" around Labour's neck at the next general election. | |
Earlier this week, Unite confirmed it would continue to be Labour's biggest financial backer in the run up to the 2015 election. | |
But at its annual conference on Wednesday, Unite delegates backed a motion urging the Labour leadership to reconsider its approach to a referendum on Britain's membership. | |
'Exposed' | |
Mr McCluskey said silence on the issue would leave the field open "for UKIP and others to exploit people's real concerns in order to win votes for their right-wing agenda". | |
"I would not like to be Ed Miliband explaining why he is not joining other parties in offering the British people a vote on something that is clearly a growing source of public concern," he said. | |
"So it is time that the Labour leadership took a new look at the referendum question." | |
Mr McCluskey said the union did not want a vote because it thought Britain should leave the European Union. | |
"We seek a referendum rethink in order to help get Labour into power here in Britain," he said. | |
"Without such a pledge our party will stand exposed. UKIP will be strengthened in some key constituencies. The Tories will hypocritically charge Labour with being anti-democratic. | |
"In a tight election this can make the difference - so let's give the British people a say on the EU, and when they do, Unite will be there arguing for the benefits of internationalism and a real social Europe." |