Denied a vote

A 73-year-old businessman has launched a High Court challenge on the British government's refusal to hold a referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty. Stuart Wheeler said he believes the government has reneged on a promise to hold a vote on the treaty. Former PM Tony Blair had promised a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty, which was then rejected by 'no' votes in French and Dutch referendums in 2005. Mr Wheeler's lawyer said that promise resulted in 'legitimate expectation that a referendum would be held in respect of that treaty, and by implication any treaty containing substantially similar terms, whatever its name.'

Legal team for the Prime Minister’s office described Mr Wheeler's case as ‘a direct challenge to the authority of parliamentary process’.

Posted at 09:41PM Jun 09, 2008 by Robert.OShaughnessy@rte.ie in General  |