Douglas Carswell's Blog

EU referendum vote - the tide is running with us

There's a real sense of momentum ahead of Monday's Commons vote on an In / Out referendum.  Although the vote will merely tests the temperature in SW1, outside Westminster there has been a mood change. 

Our membership of the EU is no longer the settled political question it has been for the past generation. 

I have had many, many emails from constituents urging me to vote for an EU referendum.  I have been stopped in the street by folk urging me to do the right thing - and let the people decide.

My blog about the subject has had a record level of traffic this week, with many thousands wanting to know more about how different MPs will be voting.  If you are looking for more details, click here to find out where your MP stands.

The People's Pledge rally in central London tomorrow will see thousands of people demanding a referendum.

Old hands amongst the Westminster commentariat might have become so used to reporting "Europe division" stories for so long that they miss the big picture shift in public opinion.  But I doubt those who depend on the votes of those outside the SW1 bubble will be able to ignore the profound shift in public attitudes outside for long.

We cannot be sure how Monday's vote will go.  We can be certain that many voters will be watching how we vote as individual MPs - and how we vote will count with them big time.

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