Vote for honesty

The long quest to find a purpose for the Lib Dems is the modern equivalent to the probably apocryphal story about the child asking his mother about Lord Randolph Churchill: ‘What is that man for?’ As the third party meets in Brighton for its annual conference, the heart sinks at the prospect of more debates on tedious political marginalia. But Sir Menzies Campbell should abandon his present reservations and heed those of his colleagues now encouraging him to push for a referendum on the EU reform treaty by joining in the parliamentary ambush of the ratification process. For once, the Lib Dems really could make a difference.

Only a fortnight ago, it seemed that Gordon Brown was all but certain to get away with his scandalous decision not to hold a referendum on the treaty. With the lion-hearted exception of the Daily Telegraph, which has organised a petition for a vote — with more than 89,000 signatories as The Spectator went to press — there has been no concerted effort to marshal a national movement demanding a plebiscite.

The Prime Minister has been adamant that (unlike his predecessor) he will not change his mind and it seemed — until this week — that there was little chance of a critical mass being reached where he might have to. In an interview in Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph, however, David Cameron shifted up a gear, promising an opposition day debate when Parliament returns in which the Commons will vote on a simple motion to support a referendum on the resurrected constitutional treaty.