House of Lords debates EU membership Bill

The House of Lords will put itself up “against the people” if it tries to block legislation that promises a referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership in three years’ time, peers have been warned.

The Private member’s Bill from Conservative MP James Wharton was given its second-stage reading in the Lords yesterday without a vote, though a majority of speakers either oppose it, or want significant amendments.

The legislation has to come back to the House of Commons by February 28th if it is to have time to pass all stages in this parliamentary session, though opponents threaten to delay it beyond then.

However, Michael Dobbs warned colleagues in the Lords not "to make this a peers versus the people" argument, saying it would be a brave politician who would deny people a voice.

So far, Labour refuses to declare whether it will offer an EU referendum to voters in its manifesto for the 2015 general election, though both major parties fear the UK Independence Party.

Former Labour minister Peter Mandelson said in the Lords, prime minister David Cameron was “trying to hold a pistol” to the heads of other EU leaders.