The North East should decide on it's relationship with Europe. I am backing James's plans for a law to legislate for an EU Referendum. Europe has changed immensely over the last few decades. Our relationship with Europe needs to change as well. Put simply, the European Union is a very different beast from what people voted for in 1975. Like many people across the region I never have had that vote. I want to see powers brought back to Britain, with greater control over our own affairs. I do not want the Euro, or for us to be part of some kind of European superstate, run from Brussels.
I hope the Labour MP's in the region will back my Conservative colleague, James Wharton, the MP for Stockton South, whose Private Members Bill will put the proposal for an EU Referendum into law.
The Prime minister has made it very clear that he wants the British people to decide our European future with an in/out referendum. We, as Conservatives, are now trying to turn this commitment into law. That
law can only be put in place if Labour MP's in our region back this bill. I urge them to ignore Ed Milliband and back our plans to give the region its say on our future with Europe.