The backbench motion on an EU referendum has been cleverly crafted. Rather than just
proposing a straight In/Out vote it includes a question on whether Britain ‘should renegotiate the terms of its membership in order to create a new relationship based on trade and
cooperation.’ This has given the motion real reach into the Tory benches.
Number 10 needs to play catch-up on this issue, and fast. The whips yesterday were talking about limiting the rebellion to ‘30 to 40 MPs tops’. But 46 Tory MPs — including the
chairman of the 1922 committee, Graham Brady — have already signed the motion.
It strikes me that there are two ways out of this predicament for Cameron. The first is a letter from him and Hague to all Tory MPs making clear that the next Tory manifesto will contain a
commitment to renegotiation and a referendum on the results of that.
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