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Write to Your MP

and demand a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty
Article Courtesy of Open Europe

Dear Supporter,

 Last weekend, veteran Labour MP Alice Mahon, who was in office for 18 years, resigned from the party.

 Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Mahon said her reasons included the Government's failure to deliver on promises in the 2005 Labour manifesto, including a referendum on the EU Constitution - which was renamed the Lisbon Treaty.

 No doubt Alice Mahon's frustrations reflect those of millions of people around the country, who share her belief that the Government should not have gone back on its promise to hold a national vote on the Treaty.

 In 2004 Gordon Brown said, "If we secure a treaty that is acceptable for Britain, then I believe we can also put it successfully to the British people." However, he then went back on that promise and pushed the Treaty through Parliament.

 The Treaty would allow for many more decisions to be taken by the EU, rather than by our own elected politicians. Decisions on issues as fundamental as crime, immigration, and public services like schools and hospitals, would increasingly be taken by officials in Brussels. The Treaty would also introduce an EU President and would extend the powers of EU judges.

 Irish voters were given a referendum in June last year.  They said 'no' to the Treaty, but their vote was ignored and they will be asked to vote again later this year.

 With Ireland set to have a second referendum, British voters should be allowed to have the vote they were promised but never given.

 What you can do

 In June, elections to the European Parliament take place.  There has never been a better time to remind politicians that you want the chance to have your say on this important Treaty.

 It is not too late for the Government to hold the referendum it promised.  While the Treaty has been ratified in most countries, including the UK, it is not yet in force because four EU countries, including Ireland, are still to ratify.

 A referendum could be held on the same day as the European elections, for example.

 The only way to force the Government to stick to its word is to make politicians from all parties aware of the sheer number of people who want a referendum.  Gordon Brown's Labour Party is worried about doing badly in June - this is your chance to explain to them what they could do to help restore faith.

 Please write to your MP, urging them to honour their manifesto promise for a referendum.  MPs from all the main parties promised a referendum at the last General Election, and yet a majority voted against a referendum in Parliament last year. 

 The more people who write, the more MPs will feel inclined to pressure the Government into holding the referendum it promised.

 To make your life easier we've come up with a number of suggestions you could raise:

  • Remind them that at the last election all the main parties were elected on manifestos that promised a referendum on the EU Constitution. This is a matter of trust.
  • Explain that their party may lose your support in the European, local and General Elections if they do not keep their promise to hold a referendum - before it's too late.
  • The Government continues to wrongly claim that the Lisbon Treaty is nothing like the old EU Constitution, in an effort to justify its failure to hold a referendum.  Remind your MP that this old argument has been lost - other EU leaders admit it is almost exactly the same. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says, "The substance of the Constitution is preserved. That is a fact." The Spanish Prime Minister Jose Zapatero admits, "We have not let a single substantial point of the Constitutional Treaty go... It is, without a doubt, much more than a treaty. This is a project of foundational character, a treaty for a new Europe."

Remember to personalise your letter as much as possible - tell your MP why the issue matters to you personally.  To give your letter maximum impact, please stick to the point, be polite, and avoid emotive language.

MPs are obliged to reply to letters and emails from their own constituents.  Please do forward any replies you receive to sarah@openeurope.org.uk as we would be very interested to read them.

You can send your letter by post or by email. To find out who your MP is and to send them an email please visit: http://www.writetothem.com/

Better still, contact your MP by letter. The more mail that arrives in their bags each day asking about a referendum the more they will start to take notice of the issue.

To find out who your MP is visit:

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

And then send your letter addressed to them at:


House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

 

Many thanks for your support.

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