Is it really worth getting excited about David Laws’ suggestion that the Lib Dems could put an In/Out referendum pledge in their 2015 manifesto? It’s not the first time, after all, and anyone who follows these things closely will know that below the excited headlines, there is always a more complex reality.
When you burrow into what Laws is really proposing, you realise that it could prove a thorny issue in coalition negotiations in 2015 as it contrasts sharply with David Cameron’s own pledge.
Speaking at the start of the Lib Dems’ Glasgow conference, Laws effectively recommitted the party to its 2010 promise, saying they would back an In/Out referendum if there were a ‘material change’ to Britain’s EU relationship. A pledge which once again depends on events in Europe, which would allow the Conservatives to argue that they are the only major party offering a real referendum.
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