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Posted on Oct 28, 2014

Only The Tories Are Holding Up The EU Referendum Bill

The Conservative Party have blamed the Lib Dems for 'killing off' their EU referendum bill - here's a simple guide as to why that's not only total and utter nonsense but also it's the Tories killing it off

by MartinShapland

Community Contributor

He's quite dashing for a Lib Dem - he's also brought in an Affordable Homes motion to deal with the unfair 'Bedroom Tax'

Amongst other things this bill would exempt disabled people who need a spare room and would require councils and housing associations to make a reasonable offer to move to more suitable accommodation before the Government started reducing Housing Benefit for people with spare bedrooms

Its an altogether fairer way of freeing up homes for those who are overcrowded and ensuring that people have a choice between a spare room or less Housing Benefit

bbc.co.uk

Lib Dem and Labour MP's voted together to beat the Tories in September and move the bill to Committee Stage

The bill is known as a Private Members Bill and came first in the ballot - ahead of the Tories preferred bill on an EU Referendum - also known in Westminster as the "Oh God UKIP are stealing our votes" Bill

Andrew George has accused the Tories of trying to Filibuster or Talk Out - The Affordable Homes bill in an attempt to time waste and kill the bill.

They have spent 4 hours so far - and will spend another 2 hours on Wednesday - just talking about when it should meet.

The problem with that is - since the Affordable Homes Bill was first out the bag - and the EU referendum bill was only third - the more the Tories talk the less time their own bill will get

Look at this comic book villain - he's clearly a Doctor Who villain from the 80's..

Anyway - Andrew George has accused Tories like Rees-Mogg sitting on the Bill Committee of Time Wasting Antics and Fillibustering

because the Tories don't like the whole 'Make the Bedroom Tax Fair' bill and because the Tories want to have a strop they are saying the Lib Dems are trying to block their bill by being obstructive and by blocking a money resolution - this is a Government add on to the bill to give it funding so that Parliament can enact it - both halves of the Coalition have to agree.

There are 2 problems with this.

1) It's the Tories trying to prevent earlier bills from making progress - the longer they talk the less time everything else down the line gets - this includes their own bill on Europe

2) The Tories are also refusing to agree a money resolution for the Affordable Homes Bill

Nope.

You see the Tories would quite like the EU Referendum bill to fail - that way they can have a go at Labour and the Lib Dems AND not be committed to actually holding a referendum in 2017 whilst promising negotiations they don't think they can win and damaging the economy in the process.

The Lib Dems are saying that they offered to grant the money resolution for the EU Referendum Bill in return for the Tories agreeing to a money resolution for the Affordable Homes Bill - a fair deal.

The Tories rejected that demanding both a money resolution and protected time for their bill whilst trying to kill the bill making the Bedroom Tax fair by - ahem - talking it out - in unprotected time.

Basically - as long as the Tories demand an unfair deal and refuse to let the bills being heard before their own progress - or be granted the money they need - the only people killing off an EU Referendum are the Conservative Party.

And instead of getting on with it they have folded like the terrible poker players they are

The longer the Tories have a temper tantrum about making Housing Benefit work the less likely they will be able to deliver a referendum - which you might agree, is exactly what they want.