Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his remarks. Parties change their positions; I accept that. It was I who went to see Paddy Ashdown in February 1992, because I tabled the proposal for a referendum on Maastricht, which was Mrs. Thatcher's last vote in this House, as it happens. Paddy Ashdown had no difficulty in saying, "We Liberals believe in referendums and will support the referendum on the Maastricht treaty," but that was a particular treaty. We thought it contained considerable powers, and Paddy Ashdown gladly supported our proposal. Indeed, when the Maastricht treaty itself went to a vote after becoming a matter for legislation in the House, the Liberal Democrats took a robust position on it. The question was not, "In or out?"; it was on the specifics of a treaty. That was the point.