Tamworth’s Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, Christopher Pincher, has taken a petition signed by over a thousand local residents demanding a public vote on the EU Treaty to the Prime Minister.  Mr. Pincher made good his promise at the same time as delivering thousands of names opposing Post Office closures to Mr. Brown last week.

Mr. Pincher said:

“Labour promised to hold a referendum on a Euro Constitution but now they are breaking that pledge.  They pretend the new Treaty is not the same as the old Constitution that collapsed when French voters rejected it.  But there is virtually no difference – and most European politicians openly admit it.  We were promised a Referendum so we can have our say.  The government must put this “Constitution Mark II” to the vote.”

“Local people have supported my campaign over the last three months.  If a referendum is good enough for Irish people who go to the polls this week, it is good enough for our own people.”

Also this week millionaire businessman Stuart Wheeler is challenging the government in the High Court to uphold its pledge for a referendum.

"The government promised a referendum and should keep its promise," he said.

At stake were the fundamental principles of "good administration, fair play and straight dealing with the public".

A poll of 1,010 voters for the BBC’s Politics programme shows 64% of people favour a referendum.  40% say they will vote no whilst only 33% will vote in favour of the Treaty.