HARLOW MP Rob Halfon has defended his decision to vote against a Parliamentary motion calling for a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union.
The Tory backbencher – one of 208 Conservative MPs who joined Prime Minister David Cameron in rejecting the non-binding motion on Monday night - told the Star he believed the timing was wrong for a public vote on the issue.
But 79 of his fellow Tories disagreed, defying a three-line whip to vote in favour of the proposals on a night when the PM suffered the biggest backbench rebellion of his premiership.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Halfon insisted he was "100 per cent in favour" of a referendum on Europe, but not during a period of huge economic uncertainty.
"In the current economic climate, when people are fearful for their jobs and are struggling to keep their head above water, now would not be the best time to win a referendum on getting our powers back from the EU or even push through referendum legislation in the House of Commons.
"There would be a strong liklihood that we would lose such a referendum nowbecause people are understandably preoccupied with our economic difficulties.
"Given that there is likely to be a new EU Treaty in the near future, it is likely that referendum will come sooner rather than later."
He added: "I’m willing to pledge right here in the pages of the Star that when the time is right – and there is no doubt this issue will come up for debate again – I will vote in favour of holding a referendum."
Asked what implications the backbench mutiny would have on the long-term future of the Tory party, Mr Halfon said: "I think the Government will have to be a lot more eurosceptic from now on.
"There were clearly a lot of Tory MPs who believed very passionately in this motion and feel as though their views on Europe are not adequately represented, but I agree with David Cameron that this simply is not the right time to have that debate."
