Ed Miliband under pressure as MPs support referendum on EU

Pressure mounted on Ed Miliband today after a group of Labour MPs teamed up with Tories to launch an EU referendum campaign.

I Support A Referendum is backed by MPs from both parties and aims to build “insurmountable” pressure for an in-out vote.

Mr Miliband’s refusal to commit his party to a referendum has split Labour and been blamed for a dip in his party’s lead in the polls.

So far the main thrust for the vote has come from backbench Tories. But more recently Labour for a Referendum launched with the support of at least 15 MPs. Today Labour for a Referendum chairman John Mills told the Standard those calling for a vote should put politics aside and unite.

“This issue is too important for the Conservatives to try and hijack it for party-political purposes,” he said. “My hope is that as initiatives like I Support A Referendum and Labour for a Referendum continue to gather momentum the pressure on all political parties ... will become insurmountable.”

The move comes ahead of a House of Commons vote on Friday which could pave the way for a 2017 referendum.

The private members bill is being piloted by Tory MP James Wharton who also threw his weight behind I Support A Referendum today. Labour has branded Mr Wharton’s bill a “Tory gimmick” and advised MPs to abstain. The Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, yesterday branded it “a stunt”.

But I Support A Referendum campaign director Chris Bruni-Lowe said his group would allow MPs backing a referendum to bridge the political divide. The campaign has a new website and aimed to email 50,000 people calling for support on its first day.

Mr Bruni-Lowe said: “We are cross-party and independent, which means everyone is able to take part without feeling they’re helping one side or the other.

“This is not about who wins in Westminster, it’s about giving us a voice on the future of our country.”